The Rivalry
by Scarletteyes
Summary: Complete..James and Lily start out as grumbling first years, turning each other into jelly beans and whatnot. Chaos ensues, ofcourse. However, somehow, within the chaos they realize that maybe they don't hate each other as much as they thought they did. R
1. Reminiscing Over Every Flavor Beans

A/n: ok, this is my first fic ever but i worked REALLY hard on it. It's only chapter 1 but whatever.  
  
PLEASE READ AND REVEW. just incase it doesn't say Lily and James are in their 6th yr ppl. and its also kinda long but w/e.  
  
REMINDER: R/R!!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
  
  
Autumn had just started on the day the train left for Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry, which Lily attended. She shivered as she stepped into the station, dragging her huge suitcase in with her. Her sister Petunia, who with her extremely long neck resembled a giraffe in many ways, accompanied her. Usually her parents would have been there to see her off but dark wizards had killed them that summer, leaving Lily and Petunia to cope with their loss. Every time she thought of them, it made her want to cry, but she wouldn't allow herself to. She wouldn't let herself fall apart. She had changed a lot over the summer.  
  
  
  
"Well, bye," Lily said mumbled to her sister Petunia.  
  
"Um, well, don't expect me to hug you or anything," Petunia remarked meanly. "Just because mom and dad are dead, I mean KILLED, doesn't change the fact that you are a disgusting little witch,"  
  
"Well, don't expect me to want to," She snapped back.  
  
  
  
"Are you planning on going? Because I really do need to get back home. I do have a life, you know"  
  
Petunia despised Lily for being a witch, just like she despised anyone different. She felt she had a right to know everything about anyone. But Lily didn't want to fight anymore. She was too tired, too sad. So she decided to forget replying with another nasty comeback. The train was leaving soon and there was no time to prolong their fight, anyways.  
  
"See you in the summer," Lily muttered. Then she walked briskly into through the barrier to the only place she'd ever belong in, the world of magic.  
  
***************************  
  
As usual it was absolute chaos at platform nine and three quarters. There were first years crying as they said goodbye to their parents, Slytherins bullying muggle-borns, witches and wizards shouting about lost toads or rats, friends shouting a friend across the room, ect. Lily located her best friend Annie Moffat as soon as she stepped into the train. She was sitting at their usual compartment with her other best friends, Lynn Anderson and Joy Johnson.  
  
"Hi guys."  
  
"Hey Lil," The girls chorused.  
  
"Oh Lily, I'm really sorry about your parents. It's horrible what happened. They were just so nice. They really didn't deserve it. I just can't believe it," Lynn said earnestly. Lynn was extremely pretty. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a nose that turned up a bit. She was exceptionally perky, a little too perky sometimes, her friends would tell her.  
  
"Yeah, me too," Annie said sympathetically. Annie had shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. She was the most practical and sensible of Lily's friends.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it," Lily said shortly. If she would start talking, she would start crying, and never stop. And she certainly didn't want to do that now. She was going to Hogwarts and she wanted to be happy, not sad. After all, Hogwarts was far, far from Petunia.  
  
" We understand," Joy said. She patted Lily's hand. Joy had big brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a cute round face. She was the quietest of the four.  
  
"So…"Lily said trying to change the topic. "Did you all finish the home work?"  
  
"Barely," Lynn declared, "I could kill Professor Natal. My Defense Against Dark Arts essay was two inches too short. And I practically copied it out of the book."  
  
"Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore. He's retiring this year. I think we wore him out. We're having someone new. I think his name is Professor Katigun." Joy told her.  
  
"That's the third Defense Against Dark Arts teacher we've had in three years! I'm beginning to think that job is cursed. Well, I hope he teaches as good as Professor Natal. He may not have been the nicest teacher we had, but you definently can't say that he didn't teach you anything." Lily said.  
  
"That's only because you were the favorite," Lynn replied.  
  
"So not true," Lily insisted. She wrapped her fingers around a piece of her wavy red hair.  
  
"You know it is," Joy jumped in. "He loved you,"  
  
"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh," Lynn said devilishly "Do you know something about Lily and Natal's love life that we don't?"  
  
"Lily and Natal? Never would've dreamt it. But then again I always wondered why you were on top of the class, Evans, now I know why," Lily heard a voice say as the compartment swung opened.  
  
Lily groaned out loud and her face turned to a mixture of pink and red from embarrassment and anger. It was James Potter, her enemy and rival "First of all," She exploded "I'm not going out with anyone and if it was it wouldn't be Natal, so stop making fun of me. Second of all, Potter, what are you and your little annoying friends doing here?"  
  
"The other compartments were full, and since we now how much we would be welcomed here we decided to grace you with our presence," James said easily. He sat down at the empty seat next to Lily and put his arm around her.  
  
By now it looked as though steam was coming out of her ears. "Take. Your. Hand. Off. Me. now." She said slowly.  
  
"Hey, don't set the train on fire because of me," James said holding up his hands. "You have gotta learn how to control that hair of yours,"  
  
"Used wrongly, and it can become a weapon," Sirius Black said snickering. He, Remus Lupin, and Peter Petiggrew were James's best friends, or the mauraders as they called themselves.  
  
"Oh, shut up," Lily muttered, and scooted over to the wall as much as possible without being totally squished. She reached for her wand but Annie stopped her by saying, "Remembered what happened last time,"  
  
"You do not wanna start of school like that," Joy warned.  
  
Lily sighed and put her wand back into her pocket. Lynn was unusually quiet during this whole scenario. She had been one of the many girls to go out with James, and ever since he had broken up with her, she had been extremely embarrassed in front of him.  
  
Remus leaned back in his chair, propped his legs on the table and said, "So, you guys heard about the new Defense against Dark Arts teacher?"  
  
"Can you not put your muddy shoes all over the table?" Lily said as she pushed them off. "And yeah, we did." She didn't really have anything against Remus. He was the most normal out of James's friends. In fact, she felt bad for him, because of his mother. She was very sick and Remus was being pulled out of school constantly. But right now, she was just so mad, that she didn't care whom she snapped out. James always brought out the worst in her.  
  
"Speaking of Defense Against Dark Arts, Moony ol' boy, you don't mind if I say, borrow your essay and rewrite it for my own personal use?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Hey, what are friends for? Besides, it would only be right to share. I don't want to seem selfish,"  
  
"That's not fair," Lynn cried out. "I worked SO hard on that essay, and I'm still two inches short. And then he gets it for free?" As if she suddenly realized her outburst, she turned red, and looked as if she was going to attempt to crawl under her seat.  
  
"It wouldn't be like that," James, said "He would just be reading it over, using the same ideas, but he WOULD change the words a bit,"  
  
"Whatever," Lynn muttered, staring down at the ground.  
  
Lily glared at the four boys. "Lynn's right. It's not fair. Some people actually work hard on those essays and would appreciate if you didn't copy each others homework all the time."  
  
"Well, some people couldn't care less," Sirius, replied.  
  
"I'm sure Professor McGonnagol would,"  
  
"Well, who's telling?" James retorted.  
  
"Aaargh," Lily sank back into her chair. This was going to be a looooooong ride.  
  
"So," Annie said trying to be the peacemaker, as usual "Exited to become sixth years?"  
  
"Hell, yeah," Sirius exclaimed. "Only one more year after this and then I am outa here!"  
  
"Same here," James added.  
  
"With your grades it might not only be one year," Lily snapped at him.  
  
"Oh, really? Maybe you didn't hear, but I got top marks on almost all my exams,"  
  
"Only because you copied from Remus," Lily shot back "It's horrible that you do that. Some people, people who work hard, like ME, do this really cool thing that might sound weird to you, but let me assure you, it isn't. It's where you actually take out your books and use them for something, otherwise than clomping Snape on the head with. It's called studying. You might wanna add that to your vocabulary,"  
  
Just as James was about to answer, most probably with an equally obnoxious comment, in came the food cart carrying all kinds of goodies. The woman stopped short as she saw who was in the compartment and her face was pulled into a large frown.  
  
"OH NO, Not you four again. NOT after what you did last year. You have better act like civilized human beings this time. No pushing, hexing, cursing. Do you have any manners? If i had known that you were sti-"  
  
"We were deprived of those at birth,"Sirius exclaimed, as he jumed up,accidentingly hitting Peter in the face.  
  
"Bloody maniac,"Peter said angrily, jumping after Sirius and hitting him on the back.  
  
Lily felt herself being elbowed horribly in the stomach as James and the rest of the boys shot up from their chairs.  
  
"Stupid git," She almost yelled at him.  
  
But James wasn't listening. He was busy picking out every possible candy he could see.  
  
"I'll take this," he said pointing to a chocolate frog. "Actually just give me that whole bunch. Thanks. Oh, and a few of those,"Lily saw him say as he pointed to a Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans bag. The woman muttered angrily under her breath, as she gave him his purchases. Lily sighed and rolled her eyes at Annie, who grinned and then rolled her eyes back.  
  
When the boys finally finished purchasing their candy, Lily got up from her seat to get a pumpkin pasty. She had brought lunch and didn't feel the need to buy heaps of candy, only to stuff herself and have no room for dinner.  
  
"I'll have a pumpkin pasty," She said.  
  
"Is that all?" the woman asked. When Lily nodded, she sighed with relief, grabbed a pumpkin pasty off her cart and hurried out of the compartment as fast as she could go.  
  
"I do believe we scared her away," Sirius remarked grinning evilly.  
  
"6th year in a row,"Peter said happily  
  
"I don't see what's so great about that," Lily said.  
  
" I'm guessing its time of the month again. Wow that seems, to happen to you a lot, Lil."  
  
That shut Lily up. She sank back into her chair and then looked over at Annie who was talking to James. 'How can she stand him?' she thought to herself.  
  
She watched him open one of his many Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans bags, and wished on him a vomit flavored one. But alas, as he popped it into his mouth she heard him say, "Mmmmmmmmmm, chocolate,"  
  
"Want one?" James asked her as innocently as possible.  
  
"That's alright," She said in an overly sweet voice. "As I'm not very fond of booger or ear-wax flavored ones."  
  
"Why would I ever do that to you?" He said in a mock hurt voice.  
  
"Hmmm,Thats a good one. I have no idea. MAYBE its because you already have, say, ten, twenty, times"  
  
"Suit yourself," he said, and popped another one into his mouth. "Yum, tomato,"  
  
" Eeew," Joy said, surprising Lily by entering the conversation. "I've always hated tomatoes. They're so mushy, and gooey, and well, they just don't taste all that well,"  
  
"Let's see," he said, taking another one out. He looked at it for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. Lynn, Remus, and Sirius looked up from their conversation. James thrust the jellybean at Lily.  
  
"F,f, fungus foot," he managed to get out.  
  
Remus began to laugh. "I remember that day,"  
  
Lily remembered that day all too well. It had been the day she first came to Hogwarts. She remembered it like it was yesterday……………………  
  
  
  
* Start Flashback*  
  
"Lily dear, are you sure it say platform nine and three quarters. Maybe it said platform 9. Or 10. We must have asked all the guards here,"  
  
" I'm sure mum, I checked the letter at least a hundred times," a frustrated Lily answered.  
  
" She is SO not coming home with us mother, I don't care what you say I'm not sleeping in the same room as some crazy bi-"She was cut off by her father who cleared his throat rather loudly and gave her a harsh look. "I, I mean witch," Lily's sister Petunia finished.  
  
"Petunia, she's your sister. Her being a witch doesn't change anything. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes dad," she mumbled as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"I mean you've always been a ghastly giraffe your whole life, but that didn't change anything, did it?" Lily said glaring at Petunia.  
  
Her mother cut in before Petunia had a chance to answer. "Girls, honestly! This is our last chance to say good-bye to Lily, and I don't want it to be this way,"  
  
"Sorry mum. Hey, that girl looks as if she's on her way to Hogwarts. Look she even has her wand in her hand," Lily rushed over the girl as fast as she could. Finally! They had been here for two hours trying to find the platform, and with Petunia there, it had definitely NOT been fun at all.  
  
"Excuse me, are you looking for the train to Hogwarts?" she asked.  
  
The girl breathed a huge sigh of relief. "You are too? Oh, good I thought I was the only going there and I was so-"  
  
"Lily, is she going to the school?" her father asked as her family came over.  
  
"Yup," she answered. With a look at Petunia she said, "You can all go now if you want. I'll be fine," She definitely didn't want to stand around with Petunia all day.  
  
"Oh, are you sure?"  
  
"Don't worry mum, I'll be fine,"  
  
"Oh, well, if you insist. But write to me the minute you get there." Lily hugged her father and mother.  
  
"Petunia, give your sister a hug," chided her mother  
  
"I refuse to touch her," Petunia replied. She stuck her nose up in the air, and walked away. That is, she began too. As she walked away her foot got stuck in the strings of Lily's suitcase and she landed on the ground with a huge thud.  
  
"You did that on purpose. I don't know how you did, but I do know that you did. Probably with some of your crazy witch powers," she fumed. "You ruined my brand new coat and I bumped my nose so hard I think it broke"  
  
"Oh don't worry it was bumpy before. No one will be able to tell the difference," Lily blurted out. Realizing what she had said, her hand flew to her mouth. Lily had never wanted to fight with her sister, but Petunia always made her SO mad, and sometimes she said things she didn't really mean. She hadn't had anything to do with Petunia tripping but as usual her darling dearest sister blamed her for things that went wrong.  
  
Petunia's face got bright red and her extremely long neck looked even longer. Her nostrils flared as she pushed Lily. Lily landed on the floor. HARD. She stalked off angrily without another glance.  
  
"Are you ok, Lily? You're bleeding. I don't why Petunia always acts like that.  
  
Lily's nose was bleeding and trying not to cry she lied, " I'm fine, mum. I barely feel anything,"  
  
Are you sure?" Her father asked  
  
"Yes! Don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll be fine. Honestly, I'm 11 not 2."  
  
"Well, if insist. I love you, darling." Her mother drew her into a close hug "We better go find you sister. Be good dear," and then with another peck on the cheek, her parents followed in Petunia's direction.  
  
Lily wiped her nose and the girl who Lily had just found out was a witch finally spoke up. "I'm Nina Perkins," She had brown hair pulled pack into two neat pigtails, large, wide gray eyes, and a bit of a chubby face.  
  
" Lily Evans," said Lily "So, do you know how to get on to the train?"  
  
"Oh no, you don't know how either? I was hoping you were magic- born but I guess you're not. I'll just die if I don't get on that train. We traveled for an hour to get here. This was probably a practical joke. What if there is no Hogwarts? What if I came here for nothing? And my parents will be so mad.  
  
"Well, if it is real, I do hope I'll be in Griffindor, but most probably they'll put me in Slytherin because nothing good ever happens to me. Or maybe this is real, but they made a huge mistake and I'm not a witch at all. Or maybe…......................"  
  
As the girl droned on and on about her worries Lily looked around the station hoping to see other witches or wizards who actually knew where to go. She nodded her head from time to time and pretended that she was listening.  
  
But honestly, this girl was acting like those batteries that went on and on and on and on…..... (You get the picture). This girl, Nina, was the most annoying girl she'd ever met. All she was doing was worrying, and if Lily had learnt anything over the past eleven years it was that to achieve your goals you had to stay calm and level. Panicking made it too hard to think.  
  
"So which house do you think you'll be in?" Nina asked, panting a bit from reciting her long list of worries.  
  
"Mmm?" Lily said confused.  
  
"I said, which house do you think you'll be in?"  
  
"Oh. I dunno. I didn't really consider that yet. Hopefully a good one, I guess."  
  
"I just know I'll be in Slytherin, I just know it," Nina began moaning.  
  
Suddenly out of the corner of her eye Lily saw four boys and their parents, holding huge trunks just like hers. One of them was holding a rat, and another had a birdcage in their hand. She tried to pay attention to what they were saying but it was sort of hard with Nina blaring in her ears. "Shhh," she said, craning her ears.  
  
Nina looked at her curiously. "What?"  
  
"I think I see some wizards over there," Lily answered.  
  
"Oooh, over where? I can't see," The girl squealed jumping up and down.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes and pointed. As Nina tried to find the group she was pointing to, Lily caught a bit of the conversation.  
  
"Oooh, look Mum. There's tons of muggles here," one of the boys said excitedly. " Can't I just try one measly spell on them?"  
  
"Now Sirius," his mother lectured. "Weren't you listening to what your father and I were telling you all the way here? You put one foot out of line, one toe even, and we'll march right up to Hogwarts and fetch you,"  
  
At the mention of Hogwarts Lily's face brightened. "Come on," Lily hissed to Nina and practically dragged her over to the boys.  
  
" Hi," She said. " Are you going to Hogwarts?"  
  
" What's it to you?" a boy with glasses and messy black hair said.  
  
'Well, isn't he rude' Lily thought as she glared it him.  
  
"You know, the question I asked was a pretty simple one. Is too much to hope for a simpe answer?  
  
When she said that to him he grinned and said light heartedly "I was just kidding. Honestly, mum," he added as she began to reprimand him.  
  
"Well James, you take care now," she said and hugged him closely.  
  
"Mother," he said crossly "You're embarrassing me,"  
  
Lily thought that the boy named Remus, should be a bit more embarrassed as his mother was asking rather loudly if he had packed the adorable new underwear she had bought him, with the cute pattern of owls on it. It was fairly hard for Lily to suppress a giggle smile when Nina cut in to say that she had the same exact pair and was wearing it right at that moment. Finally the last goodbyes were said, and the boys parents tearfully left with Sirius's father still bellowing what he would do if Sirius tried any funny business.  
  
"Um, do any of you know how to get platform nine and three quarters?" she asked.  
  
"I'm guessing you're not magical born," the boy named Remus said smiling.  
  
"Nope, I'm moggle-born," Lily anounced, feeling quite proud to use her first magical word and was surprised when all the boys burst out laughing. James fell on the ground and Sirius toppled over onto him, clutching his stomach as he let out the loudest laugh Lily ever heard.  
  
"What's so funny?" Lily asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.  
  
"It's MUGGLE born," Nina said smugly. "Not moggle,"  
  
Lily felt her face burn up. How could she be so stupid? She had read her books so many times she had practically memorized them. Finally Remus recovered long enough to squeak out "You have to walk through the barrier between platform nine and ten. Its enchanted,"  
  
Feeling rather stupid, Lily saw the barrier was right in front of her. She stuck her nose up high in the air and then walked briskly towards it. She was almost through it when BANG! Lily bumped right into it and almost lost control of her trolley. People were staring her and James and the other boys were positively howling as they rolled on the floor. What did she do wrong now?  
  
"That was the barrier between platform 8 and 9," she was informed by Nina. "This is the right one," she said pointing to it. Lily had never been more mortified in her life. She just wished the ground would open up right here and swallow up Nina and the others.  
  
"Alright already," She snapped. "I made a mistake. It wasn't that funny,"  
  
"Oh, but it was," James panted.  
  
Lily just wanted to cry. She had never thought this day would turn out so bad. She had thought this would be one of the best of her life. But now, she was already thinking of asking her parents to let her come home. She had already met five magical people, each more horrible than the next and she was having a very disagreeable time.  
  
"Well, are you coming or not? The train might leave with out us,"Nina asked, looking annoyed.  
  
She took one last look at the muggle world, sighed and said "Wait up Nina, I'm coming," and ran after her through the barrier.  
  
"Wow," she breathed, taking a look at her surroundings. But before she had any time to do anything else, she was pulled quite harshly by Nina who said "Come on! Do you want to get a seat or not?"  
  
" I think you should calm down," Lily told her. " We're here already so there's no need to worry. We have time to do other things before the train leaves like, breathe, for one thing."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry for trying to make sure that we got on the train all right. I don't understand why people are always telling me I worry too much. Just because I like to think about the ways something will go wrong, so they don't happen! But, fine, have it your way, "Nina said, as her eyes teared up.  
  
Lily groaned. She really didn't feel like dealing with this now. "I'm sorry Nina. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," She said, rolling her eyes inwardly.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you didn't mean too, but they still were damaged. I'll see you later,". She ran off to join a group of girls at in the next compartment.  
  
Lily sighed. Now what was she supposed to do? She went from compartment to compartment but they were all full. Finally she came to the last one. It was empty. Lily put her stuff down and sat down. She hadn't planned on sitting all alone. She had thought she would have made friends with someone by now.  
  
"Sitting alone isn't soo bad," she said aloud as she opened her one of her school books. Its better than sitting with Ja-" She was interrupted as the door suddenly was slammed shut. Lily turned around to see who it was but before she could do that, she was pushed to the floor.  
  
"Ouch,"she said as James rolled off her. She stared at him for a second and then cried angrily "What are you doing here, Potter?"  
  
"Since when am I Potter?,"James asked.  
  
"Is that some kind of sweet little nickname? Is Jamesy boy your pet?"  
  
"Will you just cut it out?"  
  
"Calm down, carrots. If you want to know the truth, as you probably saw, all the compartments are full. So we came to sit with you,".  
  
"Nina's compartment wasn't,"Lily answered back. "And don't call me carrots. You dont see me calling you Coca-cola or something just because your hair is black."  
  
"If you want to leave us so badly then why don't you join Nina? It seems to me like you were having bundles of joy with her, Miss Redhot"James said, ignoring her other remark.  
  
"Did I not just tell you to cut that out?"  
  
"You said to stop calling you carrots. You said nothing about redhot.How about strawberry shortcake?"  
  
"That reminds me,"Sirius commented to noone in particular"I haven't eaten since breakfast! Don't we get something to eat? I'm hungry!"  
  
"I am going to count to ten,"Lily said slowly, ignoring Sirius "If you don't shut up by then I will be forced to kill you,"  
  
"OK,OK. How about Evans?"  
  
"Well, its better than the other suggestions. Though I'd prefer you wouldn't call me anything. In fact, i would be delighted if you wouldn't talk to me at all!"  
  
"Playing hard to get I see, Evans,"he said smoothly, sitting down besides her. Lily just glared at him and then opened her book to the first page.  
  
"Aww, look at the two lovebirds,"said Remus.  
  
"Isn't it sweet?"Sirius snickered."And it's just adorable the way they call each other by their special names,"  
  
"Put a sock in it,"Lily cut in, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Really Lily, you don't have to hide your feelings from me,"James added.  
  
"I'm not listening,"Lily covered her ears and stared into her book.  
  
"Now honey, its ok to have feelings for people. I promise not to take advantage of y-"  
  
He was interrupted as Lily read aloud from her book "Dragons are dangerous creatures and can be found in various parts of the wor-"  
  
James rolled his eyes and said "Why thank you, Proffesor but I think I know a little bit more about the magical world than you do. If I recall, didn't you just mispronounce the word muggle a few hours ago, which is one of the most commonly used words in any wizarding household?"  
  
"You're never going to let that go, are you,"Lily stated angrily.  
  
"Wouldn't dream of it,"He answered.  
  
"You're horrid,"  
  
"Coming from you, that's a compliment,"he shot back.  
  
"Really now, I think we should break this little lover's quarrel up now before it gets out of hand,"Sirius declared.  
  
"I think this is highly entertaining,"Remus said looking back and forth at Lily and James, with a look of avid interest upon his face.  
  
"Well, I think its highly dangerous, and slightly murderous.Come on guys, break it up,"Sirius tried to get their attention, but with no avail. The door opened and the food cart came rolling in with a plump, merry woman wheeling it.  
  
"First years?"She asked smiling."Any of you mu-"  
  
She didn't get to finish her sentence because right at that moment, she and her cart were sent rolling back as Sirius came, running a little too enthusiastically, and bumped into the cart. Candy fell all over the place.  
  
"Food," gasped Sirius.  
  
"Lemme at it,"James cried as he jumped over the table and crashed into Sirius.  
  
"JERK,"Sirius exclaimed through mouthfuls of unpaid candy.  
  
Meanwhile Peter and Remus were engrossed in a competition as to who would reach the beloved food cart first. The woman's merry face was screwed up into a rather angry one.  
  
"What are you doing,"She yelled, smacking Sirius's hand with a chocolate frog."You didn't pay for that yet!"  
  
She tried to push James away as he grabbed as many every flavor bean bags as he could."Are you mad? Have you never seen food before?"  
  
She made a run for the door and left, slamming the door behind her.  
  
"Come back,"cried Remus"I didnt get anything yet,"He looked angrily at Peter"It's all your fault,"  
  
"My fault?!,"Peter cried angrily. And they were off again.  
  
Lily glared at Sirius "Well maybe if you would have acted a little more, whats it called again?oh yeah, NORMAL,then she wouldn't have left like that. Now I didn't get anything,"  
  
"Cheer up,"James said "have a bertie bott's bag. They're great,"  
  
"You probably hexed it,"Lily muttered.  
  
"Come on, take it. You know you want too," he teased.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes at him, and reluctantly held out her hand. He handed her a bag, and she stared at it suspiciously. After all, she hadn't been too nice to him, so why would he all of a sudden be giving her bags of candy? There had to be something behind it.  
  
" So, what's the catch?," she asked him.  
  
"There is none. Come on, do I really look like someone who'd do that?"He looked at her, smiling innocently. She glared at him, and he added quickly "Honestly, there is none,"  
  
Lily gingerly opened it and looked inside. "Jellybeans,"She said, feeling a bit disappointed. She had hoped that there would be new candy in the wizarding world. But this just looked like any normal jelly bean bag she could have gotten from any muggle store. She popped a pink one into her mouth. It was bubble gum 'No surprise there,' She thought wryly.  
  
She took a handful and stuffed it into her mouth. 'Yum, these are pretty good,'. She looked at James and the rest of the boys and found them staring at her as if she was doing something utterly strange.  
  
"What,"She said feeling perturbed.  
  
"Nothing,"James said leaning back,"You're in for a surprise though."  
  
She just stared at him for a few more second and then took out another one out of the bag. This one looked weird. It was a sort of pale yellow with dark green splotches on it. It looked a bit moldy, but she put it into her mouth anyway. The second she chewed she knew it had been a mistake. She had never tasted something more horrible in her life.  
  
The boys began to laugh hysterically at the look on her face. She spit the bean out and began to cough uncontrollably.  
  
"What is this,"she cried, thrusting the mushed jelly bean in James face. He began to laugh even harder after he looked at it and fell on top of her. She pushed him off and glared until he stopped.  
  
"Told you,"he said panting slightly."It's called Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and it means every flavor. And it looks to me," he took a closer look at it and began to laugh again "f,f,Fungus foot,".  
  
That was when she resolved never ever to open another bag of jelly beans in her life  
  
********End Flashback (FINALLY!!!!)  
  
"How could I forget,"Lily said angrily, as all the memories rushed back to her."My first day at Hogwarts was oh, so horribly ruined thanks to YOU,"  
  
Of course Hogwarts hadn't been so bad and she had ncver ended up sending her parents an owl to come home. She had met Annie, Lynn, and Joy later that day. But still, she would never forget how horrible the train ride up had been. Especially since she had James to remind her, which he did, at every chance he had.  
  
James continued laughing, making Lily burn with uncontrollable anger, Not even thinking straight she pulled out her wand and turned him into........................................................................ ............................................................................ ................................. a jelly bean. A James jelly bean. She smiled triumphantly at the spot where James would have been and looked down at where James the jelly bean was rolling around.  
  
"Oh my G-D!," she heard Lynn cry "Lily, what the h*ll did you do with him?"  
  
"Oh he's right here,"she answered bemusedly "right in front of you," Lynn and all the others looked down at the spot where Lily was pointing to.  
  
"Lily, you didn't," Annie burst out, her eyes wide.  
  
"Oh I did. And I think I'll be keeping him that way for QUITE a while, thank you very much,".  
  
"You have to admit James, this is pretty funny,"Sirius said snickering. The jellybean rolled over to Sirius and began to try to push him over. "Prongs, you're gonna have to try a little harder,"  
  
"Why, I can just eat him up," Remus declared laughing.  
  
"Lils, I hate to break it to you, but he can't stay that way forever,"Joy raised her eyebrow at Lily.  
  
"Why not?"Lily said rebelliously.  
  
"For one thing, professor McGonagall would KILL you," Joy started.  
  
"For another, we're here!!!!"cried Sirius happily.  
  
"Oh well," Lily said sadly. "It was fun while it lasted, Back you go James,".  
  
With another swish of her wand the blackhaired boy was back, looking pretty angry though. Lily just smiled sweetly at him, and then holding her head high, walked out of the compartment, and onto the grounds of Hogwarts.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
FINALLY!!!that took 4ever. R/R!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 


	2. Back At Hogwarts

A/N:Well, today, January 13th is my birthday! YAY! Well, anywayz if there are any spelling or grammer mistakes its b/c my pc deleted all my programs including microsoft word, so i had to write it on word pad, so its not b/c I'm too lazy to spell check it. Chapter 3 will be up as soon as possible!  
  
For all those who reviewed: thanx a bunch and I love you dearly.All and any critiscm was taken into consideration.  
  
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! OK then, Lets get started......................  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
A month had gone by since the summer holidays, and Lily felt as if she'd never left. Everything had resumed its normal pace at Hogwarts. Well, as normal as Hogwarts could get. After all, it wasn't your ordinary school. But after 5 years of utter chaos here, Lily was used to it and already had her routine down pact.  
  
To Lily it seemed almost as if the horrible events that had occurred during the summer had never happened, which was a relief. She hadn't thought of her parents in ages, since she had been so busy adjusting back to life at Hogwarts. And she definitely hadn't had any thoughts on Petunia, other than ones of relief from being free from her.  
  
"What day is it?" Lily asked sleepily, as she took her seat next to Joy in the Great Hall. She yawned loudly and looked up at the ceiling. It was a bit cloudy and dark, as it was in the middle of November and getting colder each day. Lily rubbed her eyes, feeling as if she hadn't slept at all.  
  
"Tuesday," Joy said calmly, as she munched on a roll.  
  
"Shit," Lily said, her eyes opening wide. "It's not Tuesday. It can't be Tuesday. It's Sunday. You see, if it was Tuesday that would mean we have a huge Potions exam that I didn't study for!".  
  
"Calm down," Joy answered, rolling her eyes. "You obviously are not a morning person. If I recall you were up until at least 2 in the morning studying for no reason what so ever. It's obvious you'll pass with perfect marks. You always do."  
  
"I studied," Lily repeated slowly "I studied! Thank the lord, lets throw a party. The only problem is, I don't remember a freaken THING,"  
  
She grabbed Joy's sleeve tightly, but Joy just grinned and said "Asophodel and wormwood make?"  
  
"When adding powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood you make one of the most powerful sleeping potions called the Draught of Living Death." Lily answered automatically, sounding as usual, as though she had swallowed one of her textbooks.  
  
"Told you," Joy said tilting her head sideways at Lily.  
  
"Fine. Big deal. So I know one thing. Knowing one thing doesn't mean I'm gonna be passing an exam. It just ensures me of getting one answer right on the test. Getting one answer right on an exam isn't passing. In fact, if I get only one right on it, that means I FAILED,".  
  
"Don't tell me Lily's hyperventilating, as usual. Honestly Lily, sometimes I just don't get you. After all, aren't you 'Miss-top-of-the- class-who-never-got-below-a-90-on-a-test' ?"Lynn said as she sat down next to Lily. She patted her blond hair which was in put in a neat high pony tail. "Does my hair look good? I didn't do the hundred strokes things today because I woke up late,"  
  
"Don't tell me Lynn's asking about her looks, as usual," Lily mimicked Lynn. "Aren't you Miss-perfect-hair-and-body-who's-never-looked- bad-once-in-her-whole-life'?"  
  
"I didn't mean it that way," Lynn answered. She patted Lily's arm, and then proceeded to put spoonfuls of sugar on her hot cereal "I only meant you have nothing to worry about. Other people, people like me, who only pass exams occasionally, and when they do, its nowhere near a perfect 100, have something to worry about."  
  
"Oh, poor Lynn," Annie teased, leaning in front of Joy, putting her elbow in the bowl syrup. "What was it you got on the last exam? An 89? Oh yes, that's really horrible,"  
  
"Umm, Annie dearest ?" Lily said pointing to her arm. "You got a little something on your sleeve,"  
  
"What?" Annie looked down to where Lily was pointing. Her sleeve was covered in the sticky substance. "Oh my Lord,"  
  
"You see, that's what you get when you block me from my food when I'm desperately hungry," Joy said soberly.  
  
Lily looked up as the owls began to arrive looking excitedly to see if she had gotten anything from her parents. As soon as she thought that, she remembered the horrible thing that she had been trying to forget. 'They're dead' she reminded herself sadly. She blinked back a few tears.  
  
"Something wrong Lils?" Annie asked, looking concerned, as she tried to wipe away the huge stain on her robes, without any success.  
  
"Nope. Nothing. Just thinking about the test," Lily said softly. She heard a hooting sound and felt a piece of paper flutter down on her 'What is it?' she thought, curiously. She hadn't thought she'd be getting mail, since there was no one to write to her. 'Maybe Petunia?'  
  
She looked out the letter and skimmed it quickly. She closed her eyes and chuckled softly.  
  
"What'd you get ?" Lynn asked, peering over at her.  
  
"Pure junk ," Lily showed her it. "You got one, too. One of those stupid Rita Skeeter Newsletter things. And will you look at that! Adelia Baker and Norris Abecker have broken up. Oh, the horror!"  
  
"They did?" Lynn said grabbing the paper and skimmed the article. "And on their third month anniversary? Poor girl,"  
  
"And it also says here that Potter's already gone and gotten himself his second girlfriend this year," Lily said.  
  
"Fawnera Mackins? Isn't she that really smart ravenclaw?" Annie asked as she looked over at the paper.  
  
"That's the saddest thing about all his girlfriend. You think these girls are smart and then they go and pull a stunt like go out with the school's biggest player. It shows that they just have NO common sense what so ever. Except for you, Lynn," Lily declared. "Though you should have known better than to go out with him. I mean, come on,"  
  
"Well, I'm over him anyway. I've got Peter Patil now," Lynn began to stare dreamily at the ravenclaw table, where he was sitting. "It's getting pretty serious between us,"  
  
"You say that about every boy you go out with. Plus, isn't this the third week you've been dating him for,"  
  
"Still," Lynn argued. "He's much di-"  
  
"Well, if we don't wanna be late for first period, we should probably get to class now," Joy interrupted with a quick look at her watch. "Class starts in five minutes,"  
  
"Shoot," Lily said jumping up, knocking over her chair. "You see, that's what gossip does to you. It's never helps anyone, and it only makes you late,"  
  
"I suggest we talk about the negative affects of gossip another time," Joy said. "Since my watch is also five minutes slow,"  
  
"Well, That's just brilliant! Come on you guys, we're late enough "Lily exclaimed, motioning for the rest to follow her.  
  
The three other girls just rolled their eyes at each other, and then shrugging there shoulders, followed after the running redheaded girl.  
  
**************************************************************************** ***********  
  
"That was too easy," Lily declared, throwing her arms up, as they walked through the dimly lit corridor. "What do they take us for, first years?"  
  
"Perfect marks for you Miss Evans, as usual," a ravenclaw named Peter Patil mimicked their potions teacher, as he overheard Lily's remark. He walked over to the group and offered his arm to Lynn, in a gentlemanly fashion.  
  
"Oh hey, Peter," Lynn said, as he came over to them. She smiled brilliantly, and took his arm. "See you guys later, K?"  
  
"See yah," The group nodded to her and then she went off in the opposite direction giggling at something Peter was saying.  
  
"And then there were three.."Lily said, watching Lynn and Peter go off.  
  
"You mean two," Annie said. "I have to go meet Professor Sprout. Something about how to get my grade higher in that class. I've always hated Herbology and now it has to go and do something irritable like ruining my average," and then with a quick wave she to left.  
  
"Lemme guess. You gotta go too ?" Lily looked at Joy raising her eyebrows in question.  
  
"Actually, no."  
  
"Oh," Lily said. They walked quietly the rest of the way until they came to the picture of the Fat Lady who was at that time visiting with the picture of Sir Cadogan.  
  
"Um, excuse me," Lily said trying to get the Fat Lady's attention "I really need to get in there."  
  
The Fat Lady turned to Lily and frowning said "Well, that wasn't very nice of you. I was in the middle of a highly important conversation with Sir Cadogan, and it used to be that children were supposed to wait until others were finished conversing. But now, i guess, this generation is too impo-"  
  
"Fairy dust," Lily interrupted.  
  
"What?" the Fat Lady asked blankly, looking confused.  
  
"The password. It's fairy dust, isn't it?"  
  
The Fat Lady swelled up and was about to start lecturing them but was stopped as Sir Cadogan said angrily "Will ye let the lasses through already, so we can finish conversing?"  
  
Sighing, the Fat Lady swung open, and Lily and Joy climbed through the portrait hole into the Griffindor common room.  
  
"Well, that was rather weird, don't you think?" Joy muttered in Lily's ear.  
  
"Yeah, it really was," Lily said laughing.  
  
"You're going the match tomorrow, right?" Joy asked as she flopped down on one of the couches in the common room.  
  
"What match?" Lily sat down next to her, and immediately pulled out a book she had just taken out from the library.  
  
"The quidditch match! What else would I be talking about?" Joy stared at her in disbelief when Lily said "There's a quidditch match?"  
  
"Honestly, where have you been Lily? It's the first match of the season! And you're going even if we have to drag you there,"  
  
"I never said I wasn't going to go," Lily said as she opened up her book. "I just forgot about the match. Of course I wanna go. I may not have the most enthusiasm when it comes to stuff like that, but I still enjoy it. Besides, I'm not that much of a study freak,"  
  
"Sure you're not," Joy joked.  
  
Lily just rolled her eyes and continued reading her book and was intterupted yet again as Joy tapped her on the back.  
  
"Joy," She said annoyed. "What now?"  
  
"Just wanted to know what you're reading," She made a puppy face at Lily and pretended to sniffle.  
  
"Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. It's for backround on what we're learning in Herbology,"  
  
"Sounds horribly boring!" Joy tried to grab the book away from Lily, but Lily held it up out of her reach.  
  
"Well, that's.. your.. opinion," she said struggling to keep it out of her grasp "Joy stop it! It's not-"  
  
She stopped as something caught her eye, putting the book down. It was James Potter and Fawnera Mackins, his new girl friend. They were snogging furiously on one of the couches.  
  
"Oh my G-d!"Lily groaned. "Why don't they get a room already? That's not even disgusting. It's just plain gross,"  
  
"What? Show me," She looked at what Lily was staring at and then closed her eyes and said "Never mind. I do NOT wanna see."  
  
"Every time he gets a new one its like he feels like he needs an obligation to show off. And with each one, it gets worse." She made a face.  
  
"How do you know? You seem to keep close attention to all this Lil."  
  
Lily blushed and then quickly covered that up by saying "Really Joy, it's a bit obvious. I mean it's not like he does that in the darkest corners of the room. Nope! instead, he picks the middle of the room where anyone, including innocent first years, can see him!"  
  
"Whatever,"Joy answered "But still, not a day goes by when you don't comment on his 'erratic behavior and disgusting habits'."  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
i need atleast 10 more reviews b4 i post chapter 3! so R/R!! 


	3. Quidditch Match and Runins with Snape

This is another pretty long chapter, but not as long as the first. Thanx 4 all those who reviewed!! You made my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you all like this chapter and REVIEW, REVIEW!!! Hehehehehe…….  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Ok, guys. First match of the season," James said feeling a bit nervous. After all, the big day wasn't even a full 24 hours away. In fact it wasn't even a full four hours away. In about two hours, he'd be playing against Slytherin in the first quidditch game of the year.  
  
"Come on, Prongs. There's nothing to worry about. You're a pro when it comes to this," Sirius said punching him lightly.  
  
"Well I guess I must be if Mr. Huge Ego tells me that."  
  
"I have a huge ego?? Well look who's talking! I'm not the one who's staring at myself in the mirror right now." Sirius argued.  
  
"Hey, I don't wanna look bad out there," said James. He stared at himself in the mirror and winked cheekily.  
  
"Honestly, you could go out wearing a potato sack and it wouldn't make a difference to all your admirers,"  
  
"I know," James smiled slyly.  
  
James wasn't the most popular guy in the school but he was the most popular 6th year and definitely one of the top five. All the girls thought he was just adorable and even Lily, if caught in her best mood would say he wasn't that bad looking. Of course, once realizing what she said she would hastily add something obnoxious which would cross the first statement out, but still. So naturally, all the girls in school would want to go out with him. Well, all except one. Lily Evans. But he didn't let that bother him. Nope, not at all.  
  
"So, full moon tonight, huh?" James said casually, as he rummaged under his bed, looking for his broom.  
  
"Yep. Tonight we do our thing."  
  
"Are you sure you wanna do this guys?"Remus asked. "It's really dangerous, you know. You don't have to. I mean it. I won't be mad,"  
  
"No, we don't know. I mean you've only told us that how many times?" Sirius said sarcastically "Come on Remus, if we didn't want to, we wouldn't have thought this up."  
  
"Didn't practice start fifteen minutes ago?" Peter asked all of a sudden.  
  
"Crap," James said, as he banged his head under the bed. He rubbed it gently. "Found my broom. See you later," He bounded out of the room, with his broomstick in his hand, running as fast as he could. The team was gonna kill him.  
  
He turned a corridor and smashed straight into someone. The person toppled over onto the floor and cursed angrily.  
  
"Shoot. I'm really sorry," he said flashing her his famous lopsided smile. It faded as soon as the person got up and he saw her bright red hair. Of course he would have to bump into Lily. He groaned inwardly. It wasn't that he hated her; he really didn't. But how could you really like someone who you knew that their hearts desire was to see you horribly humiliated and fantasized the ten best ways how?  
  
"Are you ok?" he asked her, holding out his hand to help her.  
  
She scowled and got up herself, brushing off her robes.  
  
"Oh, I'm perfectly fine," she said sarcastically. Her eyes narrowed at him and she said "Don't we have a quidditch game today?"  
  
"Yeah," he answered "First of the season. Why?"  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be at practice?"  
  
He groaned loudly as he remembered that, and yelled over his shoulder "Sorry for bumping into you, Lil. Gotta run," and turned the corridor, cursing his horrible luck.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*&~*~*~*~*~*~*&~*~*~*~*~*~*~*&~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Woo-hoo! Come on guys! The match is starting soon," Lynn shrieked as she jumped up and down on her bed giggling madly. Lily stared at her and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Lynn's blonde hair bounced with her and her blue eyes twinkled merrily as she tried to pull Lily on the bed with her "Come on Lil! Don't you have ANY school spirit? Even a tiny ounce?"  
  
Lily looked at her horrified for a few seconds and pulled out of her grasp. She threw up her hands annoyed "I think I'll stay right here on the floor, thank you very much. And why is it that everyone thinks I'm the school grouch? Just because I'm not acting like a total idiot openly declaring my undying love for Hogwarts doesn't mean I don't like it!"  
  
"I'm just joking, you goose," Lynn said, jumping off her bed. She adjusted her ponytail, smoothed out her outfit for any imaginary creases, and took a quick look in the mirror before she said "Really guys, don't you wanna get good seats?"  
  
"We're coming," Annie said rolling her big brown eyes. "Calm down!"  
  
"Ok, Ok," Lynn said as she pulled Annie's and Lynn's hands, steering them out of their dormitory. "Joy Johnson, get your butt out here" She said loudly.  
  
"Shut up, Lynn," Lily hissed. "Can you talk any louder?" She looked around at the common room seeing all the other people there. "Do you want to be mention in Rita Skeeter's stupid newsletter?"  
  
"What did you say about my newsletter?" she heard Rita Skeeter say.  
  
'Oh great. Why did that always happen?'  
  
"Oh, I was only saying how interesting they are and that I hope you write another one soon," she said sweetly.  
  
"I'm sure," Rita glared at her.  
  
"Well, got to go now. Bye!" Lily rushed over to Joy who had just came into the Common Room.  
  
She rolled her eyes at Annie, who shook her head and mouthed 'Weirdo'.  
  
"Joyniekinns, where were you?" Lynn said as Joy approached them.  
  
"Proffesor McGonagol held me back for a few minutes. It seems that I didn't do too well on the last exam," She said sadly.  
  
"No problem," Lily jumped in quickly. "I can tutor you. We'll have your grade back up in no time, babe."  
  
"I'll ask her. Thanks Lily," Joy gave Lily a quick squeeze and the group began to walk to the quidditch field.  
  
"You do know we're about a half an hour early?" Annie asked raising her eyebrow.  
  
"So what? Then we get to see them practice!" Lynn said happily.  
  
"Oh, the greatness of seeing the Gryffindor team at practice. I may faint from just hearing the mention of it," Lily said, clutching her heart.  
  
"You mean you may faint from the mention of James Potter," Annie joked knowing just the mention of his name would send Lily into a tirade of his horribleness.  
  
"No I do not and if I did than it would only be because just the mention of him makes me want to die since he's such a jerk," Lily said stoutly. "But while we're on the subject, he bumped right into me today and pushed me on to the floor. Than when I sweetly remind he has practice he just runs off and doesn't even thank me for the helpful reminder!"  
  
"What has the world come too?" Lynn said dramatically, throwing her arm around Lily. "How dare he not answer queen Lily?"  
  
"Stop it Lynn,"  
  
"Well, I'm sure your little reminder wasn't too sweet,"  
  
"New topic," Annie put in. Lily shot her a grateful look. "So how are things going with you and Peter?"  
  
"Oh, he's just perfect," Lynn gushed, with a faraway look on her face. She launched in a long speech of all his remarkable qualities and attributes. Lily tuned out as soon as they got to the field. She'd heard this millions of times before anyways, so she was NOT missing anything.  
  
"So where should we sit?" Lily asked, interrupting Lynn.  
  
"Duh," Lynn said waving a hand at the first row. "Where else?" She rolled her eyes.  
  
They took seats and watched the Gryffindors for a few minutes who were at the time getting a rather loud, enthusiastic pep talk by the Griffindor captain.  
  
"Thank gosh I'm not on the quidditch team," Joy remarked "All the pressure…"  
  
"Plus, we'd be losing every game," Annie teased.  
  
"Hey!" she hit Annie playfully.  
  
"We do have a great team, though. Don't we?"  
  
"All except for Potter. They only picked him because he has Daddy's money to fund them," Lily denounced.  
  
"You don't think he's good?" Annie stared at her bewildered. "He's only one of the best chasers we've ever had!"  
  
"OK, so maybe I do," Lily admitted. "But I'm not supposed to say anything positive about my enemy, so we'll keep that confidential,"  
  
Lynn, Annie, and Joy all rolled their eyes at her.  
  
"What?" She exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, nothing," They said in unison.  
  
**************************************************************************** *********************  
  
"Less than two minutes for the games to start," James said nervously to himself.  
  
He looked out at the crowd. The seats were filled with students, some cheering him on, others jeering. He flew closer to the ground and saw Fawnera, his current girlfriend.  
  
"She looks hot," he said to himself. He wasn't surprised though, she always did. With her light blonde hair and dark blue eyes, she was one of those people who always looked put together and as if they had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.  
  
He flew closer to where she was sitting and winked at her cheekily. She squealed happily and all the girls around her sighed happily, each thinking that wink was especially for them. He smiled and shook his head humorously. It worked every time. Fawnera blew him a kiss her friends giggled madly.  
  
He heard someone snort and looked down and saw Lily Evans sitting below Fawnera with her friends. She looked pretty even as her emerald eyes glared up at him. As their eyes met he smiled and gave her a look that said 'What did I do? '. Her brow furrowed even more, and then laughing at the idea that formed in his mind, he winked at her pointedly.  
  
He would have stayed more to see her reaction but at that moment he heard the commentator's voice boom "… and Potter as chaser. Wait a second where is he? Oh there he is, off with the ladies as usual. Well get back here James. Before it starts without you!"  
  
James grinned sheepishly at the crowd and flew back to the center of the field to face the Slytherin chasers. He looked across at his particular enemy from the house, Severus Snape.  
  
They gave each other looks of murder as the Madame Hooch signaled for the game to start.  
  
"Eat dust Potter," He heard Snape mutter in his ear as he flew passed him. James gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the broom forcing himself to concentrate. He watched as the other team scored their first goal and then their second. He frowned angrily, clenching his fists.  
  
He watched as his team gained possession of the quaffle and saw Riana, another chaser to him on the team, signaling to him that she was about the throw him the quaffle. He moved in closer to the goal posts and caught the ball easily. He directed his broom forward, ducking a bludger, weaving in and out of the Slytherin players.  
  
"And Potter has the quaffle. Look at him go! It's no surprise he can fly well, he's been on the team for four years and he's one of the best chasers Gryffindor has ever had. Plus, he comes from a long line of quidditch players including his father who was a great keeper back in his day. Well, back to the game. It looks as though the Gryffindors may be getting their first goal soon." James heard the commentator say as he flew closer to the goal and narrowly missed another bludger.  
  
'Concentrate,' he reminded himself 'You can do this.'  
  
"Ooh, wait! It's starting to look bad for the Gryffindors as the Slytherin team moves in James. He may be a good flyer but he can't take on a whole team by himself!"  
  
James saw this was true as the circle of Slytherins moved in closer. He saw Snape leer at him as he drew nearer, his hand out to steal the ball. James looked up at the goal posts. It wasn't to far away and he could probably make it if he threw it hard enough. He leaned his arm back and threw it with all his might, accidentally hitting Snape in the nose. James watched as it sailed through the sky and into the goal.  
  
"Yes," He shouted, pumping his fists happily. He saw the crowd cheering and the commentators mouth moving but couldn't hear them. His blood was pumping too loud and he felt his adrenaline soar upwards in his body.  
  
Maybe they could win after all.  
  
*~*  
  
"We scored, we scored!" Lily cried jumping up and down waving her hands in the air crazily.  
  
"You mean James POTTER scored," Annie said pointedly.  
  
"Who cares? The point is WE SCORED," she shrieked the last part happily while she and Lynn did a happy little jig.  
  
She hadn't expected to go this crazy at the quidditch match but she couldn't help herself. It was way too much fun. Plus, now maybe this would bring up the teams spirits so they could play better.  
  
Lily laughed as she saw Snape rub his nose. She couldn't believe James had hit him in the nose in front of the whole school, but she was glad anyway. Snape was the most disgusting creature that had walked the planet, as far as she was concerned.  
  
Like Lily had thought, the Gryffindors began to play harder and tougher and penalties were issued back and forth. The game was getting closer but so far Gryffindor was beating Slytherin 70-60. The snitch had been seen once already and the Gryffindor seeker had almost caught it but he lost track of it when he was forced to duck as a bludger came his way.  
  
"Oooh, this is too exiting," she squealed happily. "I think we're gonna win!"  
  
"I know we're gonna," Joy answered her as they scored yet again.  
  
"And the Griffindors have made an amazing comeback since the beginning of the game and are playing better than ever. But Slytherins don't have to despair yet. They still have a chance of winning. That is, as long as the Griffindors don't catch the Sni- Wait, the snitch has been sighted! And its gonna be a harsh race as both team seekers, at breakneck speed seemed to be at equal distance from the snitch. Andrew Bell (Gryffindor seeker) is gaining more speed. He seems to be inching closer to the snitch by the minute-"  
  
Lily's heart pounded faster than ever and she gripped Lynn and Annie's hands in excitement. 'We're going to win,' she thought happily.  
  
"And his hand's out to catch the snitch and he's getting closer and closer and- Oh no, it can't be true! And Andrew Bell is out of the race as he ducks to miss a bludger,"  
  
Lily's heart dropped in disappointment. This wasn't fair! They just had to win!  
  
"But don't get your hopes to down yet, Gryffindors! It seems as if the Slytherin seeker has also lost sight of the snitch. No wait, he hasn't. He's right on its tail and getting closer by the second- Whoa, that bludger was a close one but it still hasn't unfazed him. And his arms stretched out to catch the ball and he's getting clo- He's got it! Lestrange has the snitch! And the Slytherins win 220-80!"  
  
"No," Lily cried angrily making a fist at the Slytherins. "It just isn't fair! We were so close!"  
  
"This sucks, doesn't it," Lynn said sadly. "Well, we're not out of the run for the Quidditch cup yet, but it's almost impossible for us to win it. We should have won!"  
  
*~*  
  
James stared down sadly at the crowd and hung his head. They lost? How could they have lost?! They had been winning! He flew down and got off his broom. He looked over at the Slytherin team and saw them cheering happily, slapping each other on the back, and celebrating. 'That should have been us,' he thought. Snape saw him looking over and grinning evilly flew down.  
  
"I told you we'd win. At this isn't the only match we'll win. You can kiss the quidditch cup goodbye this year Potter,"  
  
"That's what you think," James retorted even though he knew what Snape was saying was probably true "We still can win the Quidditch cup and we're gonna,"  
  
Snape just laughed and walked away to join his teammates.  
  
"We better win," he muttered. He saw Sirius and walked over to where he, Remus, and Peter were sitting. They all looked at him sadly and shook their heads.  
  
"Damn Slytherins," Sirius said darkly. "Should've let Snape been beat up by the Womping Willow. He would've deserved every blow he got."  
  
"Can't be helped now."  
  
"James, it's awful what happened," Fawnera said as she rushed over to comfort him. She kissed him on the mouth, hard. She really was a great kisser, and smart too. But only book smart though, she had no common sense at all. Or at least that was the way she acted around him.  
  
"It sure sucks," he muttered.  
  
"Well, James, we'll be going in now. Don't forget about tonight,"  
  
"I won't," he answered. He watched them disappear in the crowd and looked down at Fawnera's admiring face. He kissed her again and said "Well, I got to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, right?"  
  
She nodded eagerly and then he took off to find Sirius, Remus, and Peter.  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
Lily yawned as she closed the book shut. Finally, now she could finally sleep! It was late, she knew, but how late? She glanced at her watch and gasped. One o' clock? She hadn't meant to stay in the library that long! She had been given permission by Professor Sprout to be able to stay in the library an hour past curfew since she was looking for books for help in herbology. But this was way past the time she was supposed to be back in the dormitories.  
  
"Great, just great," She said nervously, wrapping a piece of hair around her finger nervously. "If Filch catches me I'm so DEAD!"  
  
Ok, she could do this. She would just have to walk back VERY fast and VERY quietly. Lily walked to the door of the library and peeked at the hall to see if anyone was there. When she saw there wasn't anyone she tiptoed quietly through it and hit behind the wall. She was trying to catch her breath when she thought she heard footsteps from the direction she had just came in.  
  
Lily ran blindly throughout the castle and up the steps. She was almost home free! She slowed down and began to walk to the room where the portrait of the Fat Lady was. She was almost there when all of a sudden she saw a dark figure jump out at her.  
  
She gasped and jumped back. As the figure stepped closer to her she saw who it was- Severus Snape. He leered down at her and moved closer to her. She took a step back. This could NOT be good.  
  
"So," he said softly. "You found out my little secret. Well, now you know that I was going to prank you Griffindors, don't you?"  
  
"I didn't before but now I do," Lily muttered.  
  
"Well, that can all be fixed," he sneered pointing his wand at her "With one flick of my wand I can modify your memory. Isn't it great how magic works, mudblood?"  
  
"Put your wand down and don't call me that, Snape. You probably couldn't modify my memory anyways. As I recall, aren't you having a bit of a problem in charms?" Lily said, surprised how calm her voice had come out. Because calm was far from the way she felt.  
  
"Your not scared, are you?" He said glaring at her. When she met his gaze he said "Good, you shouldn't be. You should be terrified,"  
  
And then he laughed.  
  
*~*  
  
James strolled out of the Common Room, not nervous at all about being caught. After all, he was wearing an invisibility cloak and he had the marauder map. He was supposed to meet Sirius, Remus, and Peter in front of the Womping Willow to get ready for the transformations. This was only the third time he'd ever transformed into his animagi form, so it was still really cool.  
  
He and Sirius had thought this up in their second year when they found out Remus was a werewolf. It had taken them four years, a lot of research, and too many close calls, to finally accomplish the task of becoming an animagi.  
  
James picked up his pace. He didn't want to be late. As he came to the steps, he began to hear voices. A low, evil male one and higher, calm female one. He slowed down and began to walk more cautiously.  
  
He came close enough to be able to see the speakers and saw a guy with black hair with his arm outstretched pointing his wand at a red-haired girl.  
  
"Oh my gosh," he said softly. "It's Snape and Lily. It looks as if he's going to curse her. What's she doing up anyways?"  
  
'That's not important right now,' his subconscious said ' The important thing is to help Lily,'  
  
"Ok, right," he whispered. "I'll just hex Snape. This should be easy. I've always wanted to save a damsel in distress. Here's my chance."  
  
He began to walk faster and then started running. He jumped into the room where Lily and Snape were, pulled out his wand and said the first thing that came to his mind  
  
*~*  
  
Lily let Snape keep talking as she began to reach for her wand. As long as Snape didn't notice that, she'd be fine. She'd already planned out what she was going to do to him. Lily had just put her hand around her wand when she heard a loud noise.  
  
She turned around, but before she could she heard the low murmur of a spell being said. She felt it hit her and all of a sudden she began tap dancing. She looked over at he person who did it, but saw nothing there. And then all of a sudden James Potter appeared out of thin air.  
  
"You stupid prat," she screamed. "Whose side are you on anyways?"  
  
James began to laugh and was on the floor. "I…I..meant to h-hit Snape, but.. I aimed my wand wrong, I g-guess," he said through his laughter.  
  
"You think that's funny," she said angrily, forgetting about Snape. "Turn me back or I'll give you something to laugh about!"  
  
When he didn't answer she pulled out her wand and muttered a spell that would make him feel as if someone wouldn't stop tickling him "Stop it," he wheezed.  
  
Snape chose this time to run down the steps and get away.  
  
"You numskull!" she said still dancing "I was about to get him and you ruined everything!"  
  
"Stop…it!" He said again.  
  
She rolled her eyes and said the counter curse. James immediately stopped laughing and got up.  
  
"Now change me back, Potter,"  
  
"Why should I," he said laughing.  
  
"Because if you don't, I'll kill you!"  
  
He just laughed again and then pointed his wand at her. She instantly stopped dancing and put her hands on her hips.  
  
*~*  
  
'Well, that went well,' he thought sarcastically.  
  
"I really am sorry," he said. "I meant to get Snape. But it did get him to leave, so I guess I still fulfilled my purpose."  
  
"How'd you get here anyways?" Lily asked. "You appeared out of thin air. And you couldn't have apparated. You can't in Hogwarts,"  
  
Shoot. He forgot she'd seen him with the invisibility cloak. Not being able to come up with a good enough excuse he admitted "I was wearing an invisibility cloak,"  
  
"An invisibility cloak?" her eyes widened. "How'd you get one?"  
  
"Family heirloom."  
  
He knew what question would be coming next. 'Why were you out here anyways?' He saw her lips open ready to form the words, and knowing he wouldn't have an answer, he began to run down the stairs and shouted " I'm late! Bye Lily."  
  
"Well, thanks a lot!" he heard her shout sarcastically.  
  
Great. He'd better come up with a good enough excuse to satisfy her by tomorrow.  
  
A/N: Did you like it? Hate it? R/R and tell me!!! PUH-LEASE!!! 


	4. Rita Skeeter's Scoop

A/N: Yay!! Chapter four is finally done!! Thank you to all those who reviewed!! Woo-hoo!  
  
Also, can some1 tell me exactly what is a beta reader??  
  
Here goes nothing:  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"...And then he just took off before I could ask him why he was there in the first place!"  
  
Lily had just finished retelling the night's events to Joy and Annie. Lyn was sleeping soundly in her bed. The trio was seated comfortably on Lily's bed leaning back on feathered pillows. Joy and Annie sat side by side as they listened to Lily. Now and then they gasped at the right places and laughed when Lily said how James had hit her instead of Snape.  
  
"That was pretty weird," Joy said once Lily had finished "What do you think Snape was planning on doing?"  
  
"I have no idea. I'm just glad he didn't get to do it. I'm changing the password tomorrow though, just incase he knows it,"  
  
"How do you think he would have gotten the password anyways?"  
  
"Who knows? He probably scared some first year into doing it," Lily answered rolling her eyes. "He's just so awful!"  
  
The two girls nodded solemnly in agreement.  
  
"So Snape was going to modify your memory?" Joy asked. When Lily nodded, a horrified look came over her face. "Your lucky he didn't. He could have made the charm too powerful and ruined your mind forever,"  
  
"No thanks to James! He totally messed up everything," Lily snorted. After an afterthought she added, " Why do you think he was there in the first place?"  
  
"He was probably going to meet Sirius and the other marauders for some prank," Annie said yawning.  
  
"Gosh, what time is it?" Lily looked at her watch. "Shoot, it is extremely late! We are SO not getting the right amount of sleep people our age should be getting. I don't know how we're going to stay up tomorrow in classes. For once, we should do as Lynn is and go to sleep!"  
  
"Amen to that," Joy said rubbing her eyes and stretching out her hands.  
  
" 'Night,"  
  
" G'nite," The two girls replied as they crept in to their beds.  
  
"Do you really think James was going to play a prank?" Lily thought aloud, as she snuggled under her covers. All of a sudden she saw a pillow fly threw the air and hit her head. She sat up in her bed and asked, "Ok, What was that for?"  
  
"Lily, shut up and go to sleep!"  
  
"OK, OK! No need to get all crazy about it," Then she rolled over and fell into a long, dreamless sleep.  
  
*******************************************************************************************  
  
"So why were you there, anyways? I mean, where you just like, waiting around or something? Do you have premonitions or some unknown power? Because we `re usually not allowed to be out of the Common Room at 1:00 in the morning,"  
  
James turned around to see who was speaking and saw the red vibrant hair and the green glaring eyes and couldn't help smiling.  
  
"Good morning to you, too," He said. "Aren't you the bright little ray of sunshine today."  
  
Lily scowled and said, "I don't have time for this. Are you going to answer me or not?"  
  
"Can't tell you. It's confidential on a Marauder need-to-know basis. Sorry," He knew it was the lamest excuse he could have come up with, but he couldn't think of a better one. And it was better to have a lame excuse than none at all.  
  
James turned to leave but he felt Lily tap him on the shoulder again "What?" he groaned.  
  
"That wasn't really the answer I was looking for,"  
  
"Too bad," he flashed her a swarthy smile and bowed, in a mocking fashion before going back to his seat near Sirius.  
  
"G-d. She can be annoying," he muttered to himself, shaking his head  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"One of these days I'm going to take my iron cast cauldron and bop James over the head with it," Lily said angrily.  
  
"So what'd did he say?" asked Lynn. She had just been filled in by Joy and Annie of the past night's events.  
  
" And I quote `Can't tell you. It's confidential on a Marauder need-to-know basis'," She made a face as she mocked him "I could just kill him. I mean it. If there was an axe right in front of me right now, James's head would be segregated from his body in a matter of seconds,"  
  
"Oh no, Lily's turning to the Dark Side," Annie said in mock horror.  
  
"That's right, folks. Joining the guy whose followers killed my parents and spreading more chaos and killing around the world is number one on my to-do list," She nodded her head grimly.  
  
"I was joking. Sorry, Lil,"  
  
"Eh, its no big deal," Lily replied with a wave of her hand. "Though it would be pretty ironic, me working with the guy who killed my parents," She tried to make the moment lighter with the joke but it didn't really work.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Joy put in.  
  
"So I heard that James is going to dump Fawnera today," Lynn said eyes wide open in her delight for gossip.  
  
"How do you know that?" Annie asked.  
  
"Well to make a long story short, Brenda heard it from Natalia who heard it from Adelia who heard it from Marcie who heard it from one of James's roommates from James himself that he would be breaking up with Fawnera today,"  
  
"Oh yeah, that seemed TOTALLY abridged," Lily said sarcastically.  
  
"Well I could have made it much longer," Lynn shot back.  
  
"Uch, my friend, the gossip," Lily said shielding her eyes in horror of the thought. "But seriously, don't you ever feel bad for the girls? I mean, James also broke up with you, Lynn,"  
  
"Yeah but I was stupid and immature then. Besides I have Peter Patil now," She ended off leaning back happily. "Speaking of him, where is he? I haven't talked to him in like, a day, or something. Oh, there he is," she said pointing to him. She jumped out of her chair and walked over to him screaming, "PETER," causing a few heads to turn, including Peter Pettigrew's.  
  
"What?" he said as he turned around.  
  
"She wasn't talking to you," Lily informed him. "We do have more than one Peter in our school as it's a common name, and she was talking to Peter PATIL ,"  
  
He just shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his conversation with Remus.  
  
"Honestly," said Lily rolling her eyes "Well, I gotta run to the library for a bit, so I'll see you guys later," and with a quick wave she was gone.  
  
***************************Later that Day*******************************************************  
  
" Just broke up with Fawnera," James said casually to Sirius sitting down next to him on the deep blue couch.  
  
" How'd she take it?"  
  
"What'd you think? How do they all take it?" said James said egotistically.  
  
Sirius began to wipe away pretend tears and covered his face in mock sadness. Then he leaned into the couch and began to pretend sob.  
  
"Ok, that's a good enough impression. You could shut up now," James said tensely as he saw the stares they were getting.  
  
"If you insist," Sirius said straightening himself out. "So what happened with you and Evans last night? You said you were late because of her but you didn't tell me why,"  
  
James rolled his eyes and told Sirius how he'd seen Snape trying to curse Lily and how he'd tried to help Lily but messed it up a bit in the process. When he finished Sirius burst out laughing, " That's hysterical," he said between loud chuckles. He was about to hit the couch hard with his hand when James stopped him.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you,"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Why don't you see?" Sirius looked down and screwed up his face. Right under his hand was a massive beetle.  
  
"Yeah, so if you don't want squished bug guts on your hand I wouldn't put your hand down,"  
  
Sirius gingerly picked up the beetle and set it down on a chair. "Now I can,"  
  
"Good for you," James said rolling his eyes "How lucky! You now have the option of hitting the couch."  
  
" Don't try to change the subject, Prongs. So you played the part of the knight in shining armor very nicely, my friend,"  
  
"Oh shut up,"  
  
"Really now, James. Manners, Manners," Sirius said waving his finger at the annoyed figure "So that's why you broke up with Fawnera? Lily's your next target?"  
  
"Hahahaha," said James lamely.  
  
"James loves Lily, don't you James?" Sirius announced to the many people in the common room.  
  
"Shut up, why don't you?" James hissed, and then stood up to address the Gryffindors listening to the conversation saying "Sorry, I am under no circumstances going out with Lily Evans. My stupidly insane friend likes to make up amusing little stories to keep himself entertained. What he doesn't realize," he paused shooting Sirius a dirty look, who was smiling sheepishly "is that they are not THAT amusing,"  
  
He sat back down and glared at Sirius who began to busy himself singing "Lily and James sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love then co-"  
  
He was interrupted by James saying, "What the hell are you singing?"  
  
"Oh, its just something I heard a few muggle born first years singing,"  
  
"Well, can you change back into normal Sirius or will you keep on being immature six year old Sirius?"  
  
"Ok, Ok, I'm normal again,"Sirius said sitting up, "You didn't tell her about being an Ani-"  
  
"No of course I didn't! What do you take me for?"  
  
"Sorry! You never know. The way the world is ran these days, all those horrible backstabbers,"  
  
"Yeah,yeah I get it. Well anyways I got to go," James said getting up to leave.  
  
"Where?" asked Sirius.  
  
"I need to see who my next target it. So far I think I may go with Amy Wilkhamton,"  
  
"No, I was going to get her next," Sirius said, putting his hands on his hips, annoyed. "Ah, well, you can have her first. I'll be able to console and comfort her after you dump her,"  
  
"Fine. Have it your way. I don't mind being the jerk,"  
  
"Yeah, because it never turns out that they think you're a jerk. To them you're some kind of weird god. If they only knew you," he said shaking his head.  
  
"I know," James smiled his quirky little smile and said "Well, goodbye dear friend,"  
  
He walked slowly out of the common completely oblivious of the stares he was getting. After all, he'd gotten pretty used to it by now.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Lily walked bleakly through the halls. She couldn't believe it was morning already. In fact if the sun hadn't been shining so brightly and if it hadn't been so light outside she would have tried to convince Joy who had woken up that it was still night.  
  
'Though,' Lily thought to herself 'It was pretty weird for it to be sunny when it's at the end of November,'  
  
She shook herself trying to wake herself up a bit more, but found that the shaking hadn't made her any less tired.  
  
"That's it," she announced aloud to no one "I am resolving to get more sleep,"  
  
"Same here," she heard a voice that sounded eerily like her rival, James Potter. When she turned around she saw the black hair even messier than usual and the brown eyes which were covered by large black frames, and realized it was James Potter. He looked just as tired as she probably did. He had heavy bags under eyes and his head hung down, his neck to tired to support it. He shuffled along in a tired fashion. She did notice though, that as tired as he looked, he still looked extremely cute.  
  
Lily nodded her head to him, acknowledging his presence. He nodded back and said "Studying into the wee hours of the night, as usual, Evans?"  
  
She nodded miserably and said "I only got five hours of sleep. Why are you so tired?"  
  
"Believe it or not, I also want to pass Charms. I do study,"  
  
"You mean you don't cheat off Remus?," she said in mock surprise.  
  
"Shhh," he answered, putting his finger to his mouth in the symbol of silence "Don't tell anyone. Otherwise my reputation will be ruined,"  
  
She nodded seriously and as they walked into the Great Hall said, "It's been enlightening,"  
  
"Same here," he said, and then with a backwards wave, went to join Sirius.  
  
'Wow,' She thought shrugging her shoulders 'My first civil sort of conversation with James. Interesting,'  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Just had a normal conversation with Lily," said James as he sat down next to Sirius and Remus, who were busy reading an article.  
  
"Um, I wouldn't spread that around," said Remus in a strange voice, looking up from the article. He handed the paper over to James.  
  
James began to scan the article and realizing what it was about, began to read it much more carefully. His eyes popped put in surprise and anger and when he was finished he looked over and glared at Sirius who for once, did not look to pleased with himself.  
  
"Sorry," he squeaked out.  
  
"Should've known life was to good to last," said James sadly.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
Lily sat down wearily at the table and laid her head down on her plate.  
  
"Too tired," she croaked, "I just need a few more minutes of sleep. I can't last on this amount,"  
  
When none of her friends answered her, she turned her head over to face them and cracked her eye open. Joy, Lynn, and Annie were all looking at a piece of paper and whispering franticly.  
  
"Watcha doing'?" she asked innocently.  
  
"Nothing," they answered a bit too quickly.  
  
"Let me see that," she said picking her head up and reaching for the paper.  
  
"No," yelped Lynn holding it out of her reach "This is nothing. It's stupid. Not the kind thing of thing you would like at all," She looked back at her friends who were shaking their heads emphatically showing they're support for Lynn's answer.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes and said "Give it here,"  
  
"It's really not your kind of thing at all so I'll just be taking it, ok?" said Annie as she began to fold it up.  
  
Just then Deanie Muller, another sixth year Gryffindor came over to them and said "Congrats, Lily. Who would've thought?"  
  
"Uh, thank you," said Lily feeling confused. Once the girl had left them alone, she shot her friends her most ferocious stare and said, "Give it,"  
  
Sighing, Lynn handed it over "We tried to warn you," she said sympathetically.  
  
Lily unfolded it and began to read it to herself.  
  
'Lily and James: The Love That Sprouted From Hate  
  
By: Rita Skeeter  
  
For the past five years smart, charismatic Lily Evans and the devishly handsome James Potter have been enemies always fighting and competing. Not a day went by when the two weren't arguing.'  
  
'This is a really stupid article,' thought Lily 'I've hated James for years and they decide to write a stupid article on it now?? And why is it about James and me? Why not James and Snape? They're even worse enemies!'  
  
She went back to the article:  
  
'But this year the ongoing rivalry of these two may sprout into something new. After James Potter broke up with Fawnera Mackins, a sixth year Ravenclaw, people were wondering why. Well, rumor is that the answer to that question is that James's new love interest is none other then Lily Evans.'  
  
Lily saw red. She felt her face turn into a color even redder than her hair and her eyes almost crackled with anger.  
  
"What a load of crap this is," she exclaimed angrily"Rumors, she says? Well, they're weren't rumors before but there will be now!"  
  
"Did you finish reading it?" Joy asked.  
  
Lily shook her head and angrily continued to read it out loud  
  
" ' It was overheard by this reporter of James telling Sirius how his affair with Lily happened. Lily had been out late after the time she should have been sleeping..' Great, that'll get me a detention. Thanks alot Rita....well back to the pathetic excuse of an article:  
  
'She was almost hurt by an unidentified person when James rushed in, risking his life and saving Lily..' RISKING HIS LIFE??? WHAT IS THIS? HOW MUCH CAN YOU EXAGERATE??.. " 'After this incident, it was a change of heart for these two.  
  
'They now are blissfully in love and were even seen kissing in a tree ( Sources: initial are S.B.)..'  
  
Sirius said this?? I'm gonna kill him!"  
  
She threw down the article angrily. Lily couldn't believe that just a few seconds ago she had been desperately tired. Right now she felt more awake and energized then ever. She felt ready to kill someone.  
  
"I HATE RITA SKEETER,"  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
FINISHED!!! yay!!!!  
  
*dances a jig* Now I've done my part and you can do yours by REVIEWING!!!!!!!!!! 


	5. The Project

A/n: hey all! Thanx 4 reviewing!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
  
This chapter is dedicated to Lisa (PIGS*in*a*blanket - I GAVE HER THE IDEA FOR THE NEW ULTRA COOL PENNAME BTW!) just b/c i said so! U all should read her story LILY AND JAMES b/c it rocks!!! Its soo soo good!!! so read it right after mine!  
  
Also when u review (please!) tell me if u would rather me write longer chapters but it would take longer to update or you would rather me write shorter chapters but update faster..Thanx!  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
Lily looked over from over the table at the messy black hair and frowned thinking that if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be in this mess. James, feeling her eyes on the back of his head, looked up to see her staring at him. Their eyes locked for a few seconds. He pointed to the same piece of paper she was holding and rolling his eyes, motioned for her to come over.  
  
"I'll be right back you guys," she said distractedly to her friends, and walked over to where he was sitting.  
  
"I suppose you read the article too," she said, staring at him icily.  
  
"Look, before you kill me just hear me out," He said putting up his hands in a manner of surrendering.  
  
She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and nodded, saying, "I'm listening,"  
  
"First of all, this is just as much as my fault as it is your fault,"  
  
"Yeah, that'll win me over. Just blame it all me," Lily interrupted.  
  
"Will you stop interrupting and be quiet for a second? As I was saying, the only person I told about our little, what should we call it? Meeting, that seems about right. Well, anyways, then only person I told about the other night was Sirius, and I'm sure you told all your friends too. I didn't tell Rita about it and have no idea how she found out but it wasn't from me. Or Sirius for the matter. Sirius didn't tell her we're in love or anything. And if you think that either one of us told her, how do you know that one of your friends didn't tell her?"  
  
Lily looked a bit thoughtful for a second and then nodded. He actually did have a bit of a point there. Her frown was replaced with a woebegone look.  
  
"OK, so maybe it wasn't. But now what are we supposed to do? I mean did you read the whole article? Its the most embarrassing thing anyone has ever written about me!"  
  
"Calm down, Lil. The solution is easy," he said imitating their potion teacher's voice "All we have to do is just show people our true feelings for each other. How much we despise each other. Or at least how much you despise me,"  
  
"You despise me too," Lily exclaimed, "It takes two to be in a solid hateful relationship!"  
  
"You see, I don't hate you," James answered her, smirking "I just don't like you all too much. And that's only because you despise me,"  
  
"Which is only because you're mean to me," Lily cried with a look of disbelief on her face.  
  
"Which is only because you despise me," repeated James, his smirk growing.  
  
"Ok, I get the point," Lily said, "Continue, please,"  
  
"Well as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, AGAIN I may add, it's just a stupid article and I bet no one believed it. Plus, we can always ask Rita to make a revision explaining her very disturbing mistake and viola! (Or how ever you spell it) Instant normalness. Though it's too bad though. I don't think it would have been to bad going out with you. Losing an enemy, gaining a hot new girlfriend...,"  
  
"Is normalness even a word?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrow " I'm going to ignore that last comment though, and pretend you never said that. For once though, I think you may actually have been right. I don't even know why I got so upset after all. I mean just because a stupid article says something doesn't mean it's true. Though I still do have an urge to kill Sirius about what it said in that article. I know he some how had something to do with it,"  
  
"No, he really didn't say that we made out in trees!" said James making a face. He looked thoughtful for a second and then began to chuckle "Wait! I just remembered he was singing this stupid little song that said we kissed in the trees or something like that,"  
  
Lily doubled over in laughter, not really because of what he said, but from relief of finding out how simple the situation was. "I know that song! Lily and James sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," she began to say in a singsong voice.  
  
"Yeah that's it," he said "I don't get it though. What does it mean?"  
  
"Oh, don't bother. Its just a stupid muggle thing," said Lily with a wave of her hand "Well I gotta run. It's been nice to have a civil conversation. Actually this is our second this day. I hope it doesn't become to much of a habit,"  
  
Lily couldn't believe it. Here she was, joking and laughing with James? JAMES POTTER? The thought alone made her want to laugh in a very insane manner. Though, she reminded herself, the only reason she was talking to him and ignoring his obnoxious comments and sexist jokes was because of the state of the emergency it had been.  
  
She walked back to her seat smiling, because of the weight that had been lifted off her shoulders. It was all so simple! Things would be back to normal in no time. She didn't realize all the stares and murmurs she was getting because of the fact that she had just talked to James and had left with a smile on her face. For all those people who had just read what Rita had written, it was just a confirmation that two were in love, or at least going out.  
  
"So how'd it go?" asked Lynn.  
  
"Well, James made me realize how stupid this is! All we have to do is tell people WE'RE NOT GOING OUT! I mean, is that obvious or what?"  
  
"K, so now that's settled, can we get a move on?" asked Annie "I need to get there early to ask Professor McGonnagol something,"  
  
"Fine. Let me just go say bye to Peter," Lynn mumbled as she ran off to find him.  
  
"She's obsessed," Joy said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"She has mentionitis," Lily added.  
  
"What is mentionitis?"  
  
"Oh, you know, when you're obsessed with the person you're going out with you always mention them. It's like when Lynn says 'Peter this' and 'Peter said' and 'Peter that'. It can become horribly annoying," She informed them.  
  
"Ok, Let's go," said Lynn, as she walked back to where the trio was sitting. As they began to walk to Transfiguration her eyes brightened and she said happily "Oh, you know what? Peter said the funniest thing before abo-"  
  
"I told you, mentionitis," Lily interrupted.  
  
"She has a horrible case of it," Joy observed.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"It's when all you do is talk about the person you're going out with and you keep mentioning them like, every second,"  
  
"I do not have mentionitis," huffed Lynn in an annoyed manner "I don't mention Peter every second,"  
  
"Well if that's what you think," said Lily linking arms with Lynn.  
  
As they walked a 7th year that Lily didn't really recognize bounded over excitedly and " I think it's so sweet that you and James are going out! It's so cute because you used to hate each other and all and he saved your life. You are like, SO lucky to have someone like him,"  
  
"Um, well actually," began Lily, straightening herself up, but before she could get out what she wanted to say another girl strutted over saying "I think its like, so risky to try to have a secret affair with someone. It's so cool, you know, sneaking around, and stuff. Did you and James sneak out at night to see each other?"  
  
"Well," Lily managed to get out before the girl decided to answer her own question.  
  
"But of course you did, right? That is sooooo Romeo and Juliet. Well, we'll talk to you later, Lily. We have classes to get to and can't afforded to be late," and the girls ran off before Lily got a chance to say what she actually wanted to.  
  
"Aargh," Lily humphed,"They didn't even let me speak! And what about the fact that maybe we don't want to be late either!"  
  
"Remember the plan, Lily," advised Lynn gently "Keep in mind. This will all blow over soon, right?"  
  
"Easy for you to say," murmured Lily.  
  
As those girls were not the only ones coming over to Lily to congratulate her on her newfound love, they arrived to class over ten minutes late. Lily meekly opened the door to Transfiguration and was greeted by Professor McGonnagal's stern face looking down upon them.  
  
"I hope you came equipped with a good reason for being over ten minutes late to my class, if you don't want points taken off," she said sternly.  
  
Lily didn't really think that saying 'Oh sorry Proffesor McGonnagol, but actually I was stopped by some annoying airhead girls who kept asking me about the romantic love affair that doesn't even exist between me and James Potter,' would be the best answer to her question so instead she remained quiet.  
  
"All right, come in then and only one point from Gryffindor will be taken off this time since this is not habitual. Now let's continue," she said when she saw they wouldn't be answering her, closing the door harshly behind them. Or at least she meant to. Instead though, it ended up slamming into the person who had been trying to slip in unnoticed behind the girls. Except though he made his presence a bit more noticeable than he had meant it to be.  
  
"OUCH!" he said loudly rubbing his nose.  
  
Lily turned around to see who it was and upon seeing who it was realized it was perfectly stupid to have had to turn to know who it was. After all, for some reason, it was always James who caused the ruckus and chaos in her life.  
  
"Mr. Potter. How nice of you to join us. Will you be seeing Madam Pomfrey for your nose?"  
  
"Nah. I'm cool," he said, taking his seat.  
  
"Well, I was saying that a few years ago Hogwarts had a debate with Durmstrang. Hogwarts won, and the winners took home a medal as well as fifty galleons. Durmstrang has re-challenged us this year and since we had a good turnout before, we accepted. This is not optional and will be completed if you want to even aspire the chance of graduating. I will be assigning partners, three to a group and you will each be getting a separate topic each,"  
  
This sounded like it would actually be fun. Professor McGonnagol usually put her with her friends so at least she didn't have to worry about being with James or anything.  
  
"Alright. Abbot, Golt, and Schulman," Professor McGonnagol began to call out the groups. As she called each one they went up to get their topic. She called out a few more people and then said "Anderson, Lupin, Notil,"  
  
"Alright,' Lily thought 'that's not too bad. She'd probably be working with Joy and Annie.  
  
Sure enough, Lily heard her last name being called a few seconds later "Evans, Moffat, Johnson, come up to get your topic,"  
  
Lily looked across the room at them and smiled happily. They went up to get their assignment and then pushed their desks together and opened the piece of paper that it was said on.  
  
"Should muggles know about the wizarding world?" Lily read out loud " Is it really more dangerous for them to know or not to know? You must research this topic thoroughly because you will not be told which side you are on until you get there, blah,blah,blah..,"  
  
"Well, the con side should be easy but the pro side will be a bit trickier," Joy speculated.  
  
"Quiet," Professor McGonagol said sternly to the people who had began to start talking about their projects. When they settled down a bit more she continued:  
  
"Polk, Vanderbilt, and Campell. All right, and that leaves us with Potter, Pettigrew, and Black- Oh, no. That won't do," she said looking angry "I'm not going to have you three work together. Not with what happened last time. And every time I allow you three to work together,"  
  
The boys snickered, because just as she said, whenever they had worked together in her class, it usually turned into a big mess with many brawls that Professor McGonnagol had to break up.  
  
"No, this won't do at all. We're going to have to switch around the groups a bit,"  
  
Lily's heart sank. She knew this had been to good to be true.  
  
"Peter you'll be moving into Annie Moffat's group and.."  
  
'Not me, Please not me,' Lily prayed silently clenching her fists.  
  
"Well, why not Lily? I don't think I would ever be saying this with all the fights you to have but with the new development in your relationship," Lily felt her cheeks go red "I think that you Miss Evans can teach Black and Potter a thing or two,"  
  
"But Professor.." Lily began to protest. She was NOT going to work with James.  
  
"No buts! Don't interrupt me. Now go sit with your group.  
  
Ok, Maybe she was going to. She trudged angrily to her group, shuffling her feet as she walked.  
  
"Hey, I didn't ask for this either," James said, stretching his legs.  
  
"Don't talk to me right now," Lily said, burying her head in her hands.  
  
This was not going to be fun at all.  
  
  
  
*************************************************************************  
  
"Bloody, bloody, horrible, gruesome, terrible day. First I get stuck with twiddle dee and twiddle dumb for our project and then I have to spend the rest of the afternoon warding off evil girls that want to gossip about my non-existent relationship with James even when I must have said at least a hundred times that we are not GOING OUT!"  
  
"Somebody needs to take a chill pill," commented Lynn.  
  
"Oh, shut up. Your just happy that you spent the whole afternoon snogging Peter,"  
  
"Well maybe so but that's no reason to hold a grudge," lectured Lynn "Anyways, you do need to calm down a bit. Breath in, breathe out, in, out..."  
  
"I've always found that bit advice lame and horribly overused. You see if I didn't know how to breath I would be dead! Don't you notice that its used anytime someone hyperventilates just a bit? That can be annoying! But you know what? That not as annoying as........ working with James Potter and Sirius Black for a project that is worth half our bloody grade!"  
  
"She's going mad," Lynn explained to Peter Patil who had just over to them and looked quite baffled. "She has to work with a hottie for a project and can't handle the pressure of possibly embarrassing herself,"  
  
"Really?" Peter said brow raised. Lily hadn't been known for having crushes on people "Who's the guy? Maybe I can do some digging and find out if he likes her too,"  
  
"James Potter,"  
  
Peter's eyebrow rose even higher at the mention of him "James Potter? Could've fooled me,"  
  
"Could've fooled me too because we are not going out! We are not going out, we are not seeing each other; we are not blissfully in love! Lynn told an interesting commentary on what happened. See, actually, I am working with James, but I also am horribly annoyed with the fact that I am and am in no way overjoyed,"  
  
"Remember it starts with denial and then slowly changes to acceptance," Lynn said wisely, placing a hand on Lily's shoulder in a manner that only teachers would do.  
  
"Yes, Lynn that is extremely good advice that I think you should be listening to yourself. You are in denial that I hate James, but that denial will slowly change to acceptance and you will realize it is all for the best," Lily let out a huge breath when she finished and wiped her forehead. Honestly, spending a whole afternoon with Lynn could be VERY tiring.  
  
"Oh calm down, you person-who-can't-take-a-joke! I was only joking. Besides," Lynn continued on as if she was reciting something she found very boring "I know that you and James are as you say peanut butter and cream cheese-"  
  
"Actually I like that combination," Peter interrupted.  
  
Lynn gave him a weird look and said "Riiiighht. Well, anyways, the bottom line is that I understand that you and James don't work. Is that good enough for you?"  
  
"Oh, perfectly," Lily answered, smiling sweetly. "I knew you would one day wake up with the gift of knowledge and come to your senses,"  
  
"Um, I think I'll go now," Peter whispered to Lynn. Lynn nodded by smiling but when he left it quickly turned to a frown "Now look at what you did! You scared him off!"  
  
"Ah, be quiet, Lynn," Lily put her hands on her hips "Do you know that I didn't start my Professor Binns essay yet?"  
  
"Oooh, the horror," Lynn said in mock terror.  
  
An unusual quietness filled the common room as Lily began to write her essay. She must have sat there for at least half an hour, quill poised in her hand, but nothing came to mind. It was as if someone had folded a blanket over her brain and she couldn't pull it off.  
  
"That's it!" she shouted, startling Lynn and making her fall off the couch. She grabbed her parchment and ripped it in half. Lynn gaped at her.  
  
She couldn't take it anymore! Lily usually wasn't this loud but the stress of school and James and everything had just been weighting her down too much.  
  
"I can't take it anymore! I mean will it really matter in life if I don't know that Ogle started the troll rebellion? And why do I have to do this stupid essay anyways?! I do all the other homework!"  
  
"That's the spirit! I mean honestly all you are saying is like, so true. Plus, you always do the homework so just blow this one thing off. No biggie,"  
  
"Ok, great. So why don't we both rebel together?"  
  
Lynn turned pink and mumbled something that Lily couldn't hear.  
  
"Whatdya say?"  
  
"I already did it," she said a bit louder playing with the fringe of her skirt.  
  
"And when were you going to tell me that!"  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
James hurried through the halls looking for a flash of red. He hadn't been able to find Lily after class and he needed to talk to her VERY badly in order to end this little fiasco they were going through. After the little speech McGonnagol had given which he would never live down by his friends, it seemed even more like he and Lily were going out. They needed to talk to Rita Skeeter and they needed to talk to her now.  
  
All of a sudden he heard a feminine voice call "James, over here!"  
  
He turned around to see Lily across the halls waving franticly while people around her pointed excitedly at the two of them about to have contact. He walked over to her pulling her away from the crowd that had formed. When the two of them were finally alone they both turned to each other and at the same time blurted out "We NEED to talk to Rita,"  
  
James chuckled and said "Jinx,"  
  
"Honestly, we don't have time for childish jokes," Lily said in an indignant voice, but her smile betrayed the feeling of seriousness she had been trying to portray "Our reputations are at stake!"  
  
"You mean reputation," James joked, "Yours would be uplifted. Who wouldn't want to go out with me?"  
  
"Riiight," Lily said sarcastically "I am going to ignore the little voice in my head saying 'Smack the jerk'. Now will you be serious?"  
  
"You want Sirius? Should I go get him?" he said, making probably the most overused pun in hogwarts (and fanfiction) history.  
  
Lily smacked him a bit too hard to use the term lightly, on his shoulder.  
  
"I thought you were going to ignore the voice," he said in a wounded tone. He ignored the pain, pretending it didn't hurt.  
  
'Though,' he thought rubbing his shoulder quickly when she turned away for a second, 'he would not want to get into a fight with her. She was not as weak as she looked,'  
  
"I never said I'd ignore the big one. I'm still ignoring the small one, which is right now saying 'Chuck the moron out the window,' But honestly! I mean if your going to be annoying by making jokes in aspirations of achieving the class clown title one day, at least make clever ones! The Sirius thing is just WAAY to overused. I'm sorry but you have been declared officially lame,"  
  
"Coming from you that's a compliment," he shot back.  
  
"Now that's an example of a lame, stupid, and un-insulting I may add, insult. Do you want me to keep going or will you be serious, ie. thoughtful, not joking. In case you don't understand the proper meaning of the word," she said exasperatedly.  
  
  
  
"Ok,ok. So where do you think Rita is?"  
  
  
  
"Well, I already checked all the basic places except for the library so I'm guessing she's there,"  
  
They trudged in the direction of it silently. James realized that aside from the insults and the occasional jokes passing between them, they really had never really talked before.  
  
"Soo......." he started, thinking of something intelligent to say. He couldn't think of anything to say, so Lily put in,  
  
"Buttons on ice cream see if they stick,"  
  
"What the hell?" he said, wondering how she could've gone mad in just two minutes.  
  
Lily saw his confusion and laughed, scrunching up her nose, in a very cute way, he added to himself silently.  
  
"Its a sort of joke thing," she explained as they walked up a flight of stairs "Someone says so, and then you say buttons on ice-cream, see if they stick. Meaning sew buttons on ice cream, see if they stick. You know, like with a needle?"  
  
"I got that," he answered "I just don't think its funny,"  
  
"Anyways," Lily said, in a business-like way "We need to start thinking about what we're going to do for the project. I think that you, me, and Sirius should meet tomorrow to discuss the criteria...."  
  
James tuned her out as they kept walking. She would just repeat this whole tomorrow so he'd listen then. He busied himself thinking of quidditch. That was always an easy problem-solver for when he was bored. They'd lost one game but they still had a bit of a chance for the cup. The Ravenclaws were playing Slytherin next week. If they won them by at least 60 points and then Gryffindor won them by a 100 then they-  
  
He was interrupted when she said, "Are you even listening??"  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure," he lied, putting on an extra serious face "Great ideas. You did a lot of brain storming,"  
  
"Thank you," she said looking please with herself "Now, what did I say?"  
  
"Um...You said..," he thought racking his brains in hopes of remembering something but came up with nothing. "Uh.....Oh, look! The library!"  
  
He rushed ahead so he wouldn't have to answer. Hopefully she'd forget about this on the way back. Right away he spotted Rita, who was sitting at a table obviously spying on a few people, half-hidden by a stack of books. She jumped as he called her name, obviously, shaken out of whatever she had been doing. She looked from James to Lily and then strode over exclaiming "Why hello, my little lovebirds," James saw Lily visibly wince from the expression "So how are you today? Did you see the little piece I did on you?"  
  
"DID WE SEE?" Lily started. Her face slowly began to change to the color of her hair "HO-  
  
James cut he off by saying quickly "Um, yeah we saw it. Actually that's what we came to talk to you about. We'd like you to put in a revision, as soon as possible, that the information was, well, false,"  
  
"Oh, so you're not going out?" Rita said, this time in a voice of fake- realization "Well of course I can then. Next Friday, when my newsletter always comes out,"  
  
*~*~*  
  
Lily could not believe it! Next Friday? She'd die before that! A whole week to deal with this. Oh. no. This was not happening.  
  
"Um, I think NOT," she exclaimed, "We need you to make one for tomorrow,"  
  
"No," Rita said her facial expression not changing "You'll have to wait. It's horribly unprofessional to print only something like that. Sorry, kids,"  
  
Lily clenched her fists together and ignored the look that James gave her, which clearly told her not to do anything stupid  
  
"And exactly why do we have to wait?" Lily cried "YOU invaded OUR personal privacy WITHOUT getting permission for it in the first place! Not to mention the fact that it was all MADE UP! I don't care if it's professional or not. It's your own fault for printing it in the first place,"  
  
That did it. Rita's fake smile was now replaced by an evil snare and her eyes had turned acid-like "You know, this isn't the first time you insulted my writing. Maybe if you hadn't I would be a bit more sympathetic. Your lucky I agreed to even write any sort of revision," and with that she stomped out.  
  
James just raised his eyebrow at her and said dryly "That was just brilliant, Lily,"  
  
"I'm an idiot, I know. I should never have opened my mouth," she said bitterly.  
  
James did not object one bit.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
DONE!  
  
Do you know that I had no idea what they would be working on the whole chapter? In fact I did the whole thing before writing what the project even was.  
  
Now I never did thanku's but I decided to start. This is just for chapter 4:  
  
PIGS*IN*A*BLANKET: Aww! Thanx!!!! See now that I finshed my chap. and posted it you have to post urs or else!!! MWAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CUTIE! AND I'M NOT GEORGIA!  
  
E.M.C: thanx! I'm glad u like my Sirius!! he wasn't in this chapter a lot but he'll be in in the next chapter more.  
  
NICOLEtheNIVETER: thanx! I know it took me a while to upload! I don't know how you're able to update so fast! It mystifies me. I love your fic GLIMPSE,btw. EVERYONE, GO READ IT!  
  
QUACKQUACK88: thanx for the review! I know you can be a bit harsh sometimes(not in a bad way, just that you state the truth) so I'm happy u like it!  
  
The ICECREAM PERVEYOR or w/e u r now: all i can say is I'm glad u didn't like my fic. I mean w/ what u write if u did like it, it would mean I write bad too. ( i never ever ever flame but this person really is quite a nusiance. Shes flamed really good writers for no reason when hers are 10 times worse. READ HER FIC IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT I MEAN. her other pen name is strawberrykoolaid)  
  
FAIRYSPRITE: don't worry.like i said b4, The icecream perveyor's flame didnt bother me in the least. I'm glad you like my fic!  
  
SOMEONE: sorry u think Lily's too much of a study freak. Hopefully she'll become less as this progresses. and ur story is really good btw!  
  
Also thanx to: LUCKY121, FALULA, SATAN'S LITTLE PRINCESS(i love ur penname!), MIKALA, PRINCESS SWEETS, UP YOUR ZIGGY WITH A WAWA BRUSH, AMANDAPANDA, PRINCESS EVIL, LILY EVANS, MANDI, SAMIRALIE, QUITESIRIUS, SARCASM QEEN, CHICKQ, BEXIE, DOG STARS CRUSH(ur fic is so cute!)  
  
Yeah thats it, now REVIEW! 


	6. Attacked by the ManEating Tree

A/N: OK, this is sooo weird. I can't believe I'm going to write this chapter. I was supposed to give up on this but.I just couldn't lol. PLEASE R/R!!!  
  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"So what? So I'm working on a project that counts for half our grade with two of the biggest slackers in the world. So people are spreading rumors about me falling in love with my worst enemy. So my parents are dead and I'm going to be stuck in Hogwarts next week for Christmas all by myself. So what?" Lily tried to console herself "Why should I care? So what if my life is in shambles. At least.at least what?"  
  
"At least you're living?" Lynn suggested helpfully.  
  
"At least I'm living. Hmm, no I don't think so because nothing good can be said about that. Usually people say that when they are having a rough time but have some thing to live for. I am under a rough time and have nothing to live for, so no. And see? I just proved that there is nothing good about my situation. I'm doomed,"  
  
"Lily, darling, don't say that. You know we love, cherish, and admire you greatly?" Annie said in a playful tone.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. Three days had passed since Rita had told her she would have to wait until Friday for a revision to be made. That meant there were four more days to go and Lily didn't think she would be able this atrocity. She was at her wits end.  
  
"Whatever, I got to go," Lynn said "I got a meeting with my group. Hey, didn't yours start a while ago, Lil?"  
  
Lily swore under her breath "Uch! I totally forgot. See, look what's happening to me! Three days I have to work with them and I'm already being influenced. I'll see you guys later if I can live through this chamber of torture," Lily said before flouncing out.  
  
She rambled down the stairs, two at a time, muttering incoherently. Ever since her parents' death, every thing sucked. It felt like she had been put under a curse. She just wanted one good thing to happen. Just one! But, no, every time something good was about to happen it was cruelly snatched away and turned into another of her worst nightmares, laughing at her for thinking that there was an end to this cycle.  
  
She reached the end of the stairs and walked through the Great Hall to the Quidditch field. Since she had gotten to pick the last place they had met at(the library, of course), she had agreed to let them pick this one. Of course they had to go and pick the Quidditch field, the absolute worst place to pick because it was freezing outside and really windy, and so dark that you could barely more than three feet ahead of you. Obviously, she wasn't surprised, she knew they were going to pick a place like this. It was just so..so..THEM. She'd only been working with them for three days and already she knew them way too well. She knew the inner workings of their mind and their little quirks, things she would rather go on without knowing. It was too dark to see anything so Lily began to call her names. All she could see, if she looked carefully enough was a tiny white star in the sky, the North Star. It was usually bigger, but tonight, it was so cloudy you could barely see a thing. Her father had taught her which star the North Star was.  
  
"James, Sirius? Guys?" She called uncertainly, holding her arms tightly around herself, in hopes of warming up.  
  
"Lily-O" she heard Sirius call out toward her far left.  
  
She trudged in the direction of the voice until she bumped into someone, atleast she hoped it was a someone, and stopped.  
  
"Ouch," James whined "Lily be more careful."  
  
"Hey, its pitch black here and you picked the damn place,"  
  
"Thanks," he said brightly.  
  
"Sorry," James snapped, "So, wanna go inside or something?"  
  
"Duh, I wanna go inside," Lily said "Come on,"  
  
She grabbed one of the boys-it was too dark to see which one- and dragged them with her. He walked into her foot and stumbled, grunting, while he grabbed her shoulder to steady him.  
  
"Ow," she squeaked angrily "Whichever one you are, get your arm off me. I can sue you for sexual abuse, you know, unwillingly touching me,"  
  
"And I can sue you for making me fall and almost crack my head open," James's voice answered "Don't you know your own boyfriend's touch?"  
  
"Haha," Lily said sardonically, as she opened the door to the castle "You're hysterical, James. Now, can you just shut up?"  
  
"Since James got to pick a place and you also did, I get to pick this time!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"What? The Quidditch field didn't count! We didn't do any work,"  
  
"So what? It doesn't matter that you picked a crappy place,"  
  
"Crappy? The Quidditch field isn't crappy-"  
  
Lily just rolled her eyes. Boys. They could be so immature sometimes. In fact, James and Sirius reminded her of herself and Petunia when they were younger. They were always fighting over stuff together.  
  
"Look, just decide on a place together, ok?"  
  
James and Sirius abruptly stopped fighting and grinned mischievously at each other, nodding slowly.  
  
"Umm, I don't really like that face on you guys," Lily said nervously.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Why didn't we think of that before?" James said excitedly before.  
  
"Follow us," Sirius yelped, as he ran.  
  
Lily rushed after wishing she'd never opened her mouth in the first place.  
  
"Sirius, move your big fat foot," Lily snapped.  
  
"That's not my foot, it's James,"  
  
"No it's yours,"  
  
"No, it-"  
  
"For G-d's sake," Lily spat "Will one of you move it or should I trip and fall out of this lump of cloth?"  
  
The foot was moved as James said in a hurt voice "Its not a lump of cloth! It's an invisibility cloak. You seemed to have to liked it a few minutes ago,"  
  
Which was true. When Lily first saw it, she had been blinded just by the amazement of seeing it. An invisibility cloak, something so rare, and almost never seen, and she was able to touch, to actually go under it.  
  
"That's before I knew it would be like we were in a toy car," Lily muttered "This sucks. Why can't you just tell me where we are going?"  
  
"Because, if we did, we'd have to kill you," Sirius joked.  
  
"You do know we could have already been doing this stupid debate thing for an hour all ready?"  
  
"Stupid? Lily Evans just called just called something for school stupid? Why is the sky not falling?" James mocked.  
  
"Shut up," Lily mumbled, "I don't actually LIKE doing work for school,"  
  
"Then why do you do it?" James asked, curiously. He didn't understand how someone could spend so much time and energy on something they didn't like.  
  
"Because," Lily started out strongly but faltered "Because.I-I just do. Why shouldn't I want to do good in school?"  
  
"You could do pretty good with out working so hard," James said.  
  
"Well, maybe-"Lily started, her anger flaring.  
  
"Yo, guys, we're here," Sirius interrupted.  
  
James grabbed the Invisibility Cloak off them.  
  
"Oh, James it was your foot!" Lily exclaimed.  
  
"I told you it wasn't me," Sirius answered excitedly, which started him and James off in another one of their crazy dialogues.  
  
Lily surveyed their surroundings. They were in a very, very dirty room. It was all messy, chairs strewn around the room, and papers all over the place. Lily wiped her hand on the wall, and a layer of grime came off.  
  
"This is your "special" place?" Lily said disbelievingly "This looks like a prison room! Where are we?"  
  
"Guess," Sirius said excitedly.  
  
"I'm not guessing like some moron," Lily said stoutly.  
  
"The Screaming Shack," James answered.  
  
"The Screaming Shack? But isn't it locked-"  
  
"We're Marauders. We have our ways," Sirius said mischeviously.  
  
"Ok, well, lets get started. You guys have the books?," Lily asked, grimacing, as she picked up a dirty chair she wiped it off with a stray paper before sitting down.  
  
"Um..Books?" Sirius said hesitantly.  
  
"You do have them, right? It was nice of you guys to offer to bring them," Lily said sweetly.  
  
"Yeah, sure, Sirius has them," James said, confidently.  
  
"No, I don't. You have them,"  
  
"I don't have them! You do!"  
  
"You were supposed to bring them," "No, you were,"  
  
"Wait a second," Lily said slowly, getting up from the chair "So you don't have the books?"  
  
"Well," James said, "You see, there's been a slight problem. Sirius here was supposed to bring them-"  
  
"No you were," Sirius interrupted.  
  
"YOU don't have the books," Lily said menacingly, pacing around the room "The one thing this entire night is based on, an its not here. We walked around like hooligans for NOTHING! I'm breaking Hogwarts rules for NOTHING! NOTHING, NOTHING NOTHING! That's it, I'm out of here!" Lily said, running out through the tunnel they had came in.  
  
"Wait, Lily, get back here! We didn't get to tell you-"  
  
Lily ignored their cries and kept running. All of a sudden she felt a huge smack and she was picked up off the ground.  
  
"Help!" She screamed desperately. What was holding her?  
  
"Hold on Lily! I'm coming!"  
  
That was the last thing she heard before she saw the concrete coming closer and closer and then she was enveloped in darkness.  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Lily shouted, jumping up "Help! Help!"  
  
Madame Pomfrey zoomed into the room and toppled over a bed "What's wrong?" she asked, as she lay in a heap on the floor.  
  
"The thing!" Lily cried, "Don't you-"  
  
She stopped suddenly, realizing where she was. A hospital bed lay to the left of her, and light was streaming in from the window. The cleanliness of the place contrasted greatly with the dirtiness and grime of the place where she had been- well, she didn't know what had happened to her, but she did know some how something and picked her up and threw her to the floor there.  
  
"What is it?" Madame Pomfrey said in a strangled voice.  
  
"Oh, um, nothing, just saw all those flowers and uh, I got excited?" Lily meant to say that but it came out more as a suggestion. Madame Pomfrey just stared at Lily for a second, touched her forehead to see if she had a fever, and then walked away muttering vile nonsense about kids those days and how it had been back in her day.  
  
Lily just sat in her bed, thinking about that weird night until a few hours later, when Professor Dumbledore came in to visit.  
  
"So, Ms.Evans, I see you've finally recovered. Took you a good part of this week to do so,"  
  
"Wait-week? What day is it?" Lily said "I thought it was just the day after,"  
  
"Its Saturday. This has been no small feat you've been through. Being attacked by a Whomping Willow is not something that everyone can live to talk about. You were most fortunate to have Mr. Potter and Black there to help you," Dumbledore answered gravely.  
  
"Yeah, but they got me into it in the first place," Lily remarked while tugging on a fold in her blanket.  
  
"True, true," Dumbldore said slowly, stroking his beard "Professor McGonnagol was not too happy with their actions, and many house points were lost,"  
  
"But how did they know about the entrance. It's a known thing that the Screaming Shack has been sealed off for ages,"  
  
"You will have to ask them about that. I can't answer for them. Now, I trust I will see you in classes next week?" Dumbldore raised his eyebrows in question.  
  
Lily nodded slowly and sank in her bed as she watched the Headmaster leave. She didn't understand why Dumbledore couldn't tell her when he obviously knew. She could have died there, so she felt that the least they could was tell her.  
  
Later that day, James came to visit. Lily had already been visited by Annie, Joy, and Lynn and was munching on some Every Flavor Beans when he came in.  
  
"Did you find any Fungus Foot in there?" She heard a voice say into her ear, tickling the hairs on her back.  
  
She jumped and slammed into James chin.  
  
"Ouch!" He yelped.  
  
Madame Pomfrey ran to see what it happened and in a mere few seconds the tables had turned and it felt to Lily that she was the visitor and he the patient.  
  
"I told you never to sneak up on me," Lily remarked. "I didn't know you'd get do violent,"  
  
"Hey, I'm not the one who endangered your life by bringing you unwillingly to a place where there was a man-eating tree that could have killed me," Lily snapped back angrily, folding her arms over her chest.  
  
James softened visibly at that. His furrowed brow and frown was replaced quickly by a concern look.  
  
"Look, I did come to say sorry. I really didn't mean for you to get hurt,"  
  
"Well I hope you didn't," Lily said wryly.  
  
He reached out and touched a purple bruise on her arm "Does that hurt?"  
  
"Just a tad," Lily said sarcastically, moving her arm out of his reach.  
  
All of a sudden James look brightened and he reached into his cloak and pulled out a dung bomb, a fishnet (Lily didn't want to know what that was doing there) and a rumpled piece of paper. He handed her the paper.  
  
Lily took it from his grasped, unfolded and began to read it  
  
James watched as Lily read the article and laughed at her reaction. She jumped at of her bed and yelped, clapping her hands.  
  
"She wrote it!" she screeched.  
  
"Quiet," Madame Pomfrey called.  
  
James grinned "Yup, I gotta hand it to Rita dear, she did keep her word on that one. Too bad for you, Evans. Now you're just another thing of the past. I hope that you don't cry too much from me dumping you,"  
  
"Hahaha," Lily said sarcastically.  
  
James laughed. He couldn't help but feel a tingle go down his spine whenever he looked at her. Especially now. He didn't know why but for some reason seeing her with her hair all mussed up in her rumpled robes just made her look so alluring. One strand of her amber hair fell on her bare shoulder and James had the hugest urge to move it and kiss that spot on her shoulder. However, this came to no surprise to him. It wasn't like He'd never thought that before. Lily was a good-looking girl so obviously he did feel some physical attraction to her. But then again, he had physical attraction for at least half the girls in Hogwarts over 3rd year.  
  
"I wonder why she would do that," Lily said, furrowing her brow.  
  
James grinned in anticipation of her reaction to what he was about to say.  
  
"Well, Evans, You are looking at Rita Skeeter's new boyfriend," he said cheekily.  
  
Lily sat up higher in her bed trying to look over James shoulder "Where is that moron?" she said gleefully "Who'd want to go out with that stupid cow,"  
  
"Hey, I'm not a moron," James said resentfully.  
  
Rita Skeeter wasn't that bad. At least she was tolerable. Plus, she was not that bad of a kisser, he had just found out before he came to check on Lily.  
  
"You are going out with Rita?" Lily said before bursting into laughter "You are such a male pig!"  
  
James's anger rose. He hated how Lily felt she could act as obnoxiously as she wanted to him, as if he had no feelings or she was better than him. Well, he wasn't going to listen to her anymore. She'd have to learn the consequences of saying stuff like that to people  
  
"I don't have to take this. I'm leaving," James said, getting up to go.  
  
"No, wait," Lily said, making him stop "I won't talk about RITA-" Lily paused to suppress a giggle "-But I do have a question about what happened when I was hit,"  
  
"What?" James moaned.  
  
"Tell me how you knew about the Screaming Shack," Lily said.  
  
James sat down, wondering what he was going to say. He couldn't tell her about Remus being a werewolf! He couldn't just tell someone a secret like that. James could barely even trust Lily in the first place. However, he came to a realization, he could just tell her about the Marauder's Map without telling anymore.  
  
"Well, Lil, I'll let you in on a confidential Marauder secret," James said reluctantly "See, there's this thing called the Marauder's Map. Ya see, Me, Remus, Sirius and Peter kind of hate polishing those stupid trophies in the trophy room. Filch doesn't think up any interesting detentions anymore. So we enchanted a map that would tell us where people were in Hogwarts such as Professor McGonnagol and all those annoying people that can get us in trouble,"  
  
"You're not smart enough to invent a map," Lily's brow furrowed in confusion "That's high level magic,"  
  
"Don't estimate the power of the Marauders," James said sternly.  
  
He felt weak with relief inside. Thank G-d she bought his story because if she hadn't he knew there would be hell to pay. She was one of those people who wouldn't just stop trying to find out something and would just keeping sticking her face in his.  
  
"Wait a sec," Lily said thoughtfully.  
  
Damn. He knew it couldn't be that easy.  
  
"How did you stop that thing from killing me?"  
  
"You just stick a branch in the knot of his trunk," James said, letting out a huge breath.  
  
"How'd you know?" Lily questioned.  
  
"Um, just lucky, I guess," James said weakly.  
  
Lily's look of disbelief on her face showed what she thought of his answer.  
  
"So if you made it, you put in the secret passages you knew about. How'd you find out about this one?" She enquired.  
  
"I.look," James said, getting tired of trying to make things up "I can't tell you,"  
  
"You almost got me killed," Lily cried "I think I deserve to know why!"  
  
"Lily, I really would if I could. But I can't. You see it's not exactly my secret to tell. If I told you I would have to tell you something that is just to huge and important for me to tell you,"  
  
"Oh, and I'm sure your fellow MAURADERS know about this stupid secret," Lily spat angrily.  
  
"Well, they are sort of part of it," James admitted slowly, staring down at the floor.  
  
"Just go," Lily said suddenly after a long pause.  
  
"But Li-"  
  
"I'm sick of the stupid excuses. I don't feel too good anymore. Get out, please."  
  
James slowly left the room. He didn't understand Lily couldn't just let it go. Why did she have to act like that? Another thing he didn't understand was why he cared so much that she was mad at him. They were always mad at each other and eating each other's ears off. It was probably just because he felt guilty because of the situation he had gotten her into, he reassured himself. And he couldn't tell her, even if he wanted to. It would only involve her in something she wasn't ready and wouldn't want to be involved with.  
  
He was so lost in his thought he didn't realize the smooth hand that had slid on his shoulder  
  
"Hey James," Rita said cheerfully, snaking his arm around her waist.  
  
"Hey sweetums," he said blandly, but she didn't noticed.  
  
She stopped him in the middle of the hallway and kissed him hard on the mouth. He returned the kiss, but suddenly he just wasn't in the mood anymore.  
  
"Look Rita," He said, breaking off the kiss "I have something to take care of, so I'll see you later,"  
  
He waved to her before walking off quickly, wondering why he was in such a weird mood all of a sudden.  
  
OMG! I DID IT!! I WROTE THIS CHAPTER!! YAY!!! PLEASE R/R! I REALLY NEED REVIEWS TO KEEP GOING B/C I HAVE TONS OF WRK AND STFF AND REVIEWS ARE REALLY WHAT KEEPS ME GOING..ATLEAST 10 MORE UNTIL I UPDATE..(that's prob how long it will take, maybe even longer)  
  
And thanks to my reviewers:  
  
Pigs*In*a*Blanket: who I love so much, my very own Jas who is writing a fic just for lil ol me! Thanx! I loved ur review!! Every1 read her stories!!  
  
Someone: Im glad you like Lily in the chapter..is she she good in this? I think I reviewed your fic, If I didn't then review and tell me (  
  
NayNay89: Thanks for all your reviews! I'm glad you like my fic!  
  
The Golden Goose: I also think I'll write longer chapters. I just can't write short chapters, I don't think its in me.  
  
Sereks sword: Thanks a bunch! I love your reviews  
  
Alhoroma: See?? I did update!! Don't hate me!  
  
Starr: I did have summer break but my parents went up to a lame bungalow colony and forced me to go, leaving me computer stranded (  
  
Also thanx to:  
  
Lily Potter weirdme030589 ~¤LoWa¤~ Drops of Jupiter Audrey( I love you!) Kelly Mako Shadows Shrouded Spirit crazy*man*running*around Ally-Kamiya( You better update fast!!!!!!!!!!) A Rose By Any Other Name Lqueenie Quitesirius(your penname is really cute!) Satan's Little Princess  
  
Ok, next chapter there may POSSIBLY be some L/J action! FINALLY!! Sorry, Just that if they hate each other there has to be a transition right? And, please, please R/R!!!! 


	7. Confrentations during Christmas

A/N:OK, HERE GOES......  
  
Christmas bells are ringing Christmas bells are ringing Christmas bells are ringing Somewhere else Not here - Christmas Bells are Ringing(that was a hard one right?) from Rent  
  
Lily stared glumly as the rest of the girls in the dormitory were packing up there stuff for the holidays. She fingered her blanket, staring at the picture of her parents that was lying on her bed, out from its usual hiding place under her pillow. She heard the girls excited murmurs and giggles, as they talked about going home, pretending it was the hugest annoyance, when really, they had been looking forward to this time since the first day of school.  
  
She had also once been like them. It seemed like a lifetime ago but it had been like that only just that past year. Just last year, she had been voicing the terrible hassle it was going home. Petunia was there, her father and mother heckling her about her grades, being cut off from the wizarding world. But secretly she had been keeping track of the days on her calendar, having long reveries about the fun she had at the time. And now, it would never happen again.  
  
Lily remembered her father would always pick her up from the train station by himself pretending that the rest of the family hadn't cared that she was coming. She would go along with it, pretending it was such a huge disappointment for them not to come, and squeal with joy when she saw them there in the car. Her lips curved upwards when she remembered how happy it would make him.  
  
"Lil, come on! You have to come stay with my family," Lynn begged, poking her head through the curtain.  
  
Lily jumped back, surprised, and said "Lynn, no! NO! I'll be fine here. It won't be so bad,"  
  
"Don't make me go home all by myself," Lynn implored once again, putting on her saddest, most helpless face "It's torture! Torture, I tell you! Mom and Dad invite my whole family over for a "lovely" Christmas dinner. Of course they can't ruin their night without embarrassing me so each time they ask me all these questions, take out my baby albums, and-and- I can't even go on. It's too horrible to say. I don't want to hurt anyone else with my burden." she finished, making a brave, decisive face.  
  
"Well, than you won't want to torture me with the witnessing of such a terrible act. So I'll just stay here alone. I don't mind," Lily sighed, leaning back on her pillow.  
  
"Well, you won't be all alone," Lynn said, changing the conversation as she leaned back so she was lying down next to Lily and made a mischievous face "JAMES will be there. Christmas, what a perfect time to set things right between you two,"  
  
"Lynn, shut-"  
  
"I got to go. Train's coming. Love, you miss you. Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do," Lynn said quickly, grabbed her bag, gave Lily a quick hug before zooming out of the room.  
  
"Why does she always do that to me?" Lily moaned as she helped Annie and Joy with their bags.  
  
"That's Lynn for you," Annie joked "Bye, Lil,"  
  
"Bye guys," Lily said sadly as she left.  
  
One thing was for sure. She was going to have one hell of a bad Christmas.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Sirius, Remus, Peter, one of you has to stay over. Don't make me stay myself!" James moaned.  
  
"Dude, you did this to yourself. You made the decision, remember?" Sirius snidely remarked.  
  
"Insanity, insanity I tell you! I was not myself that day. Something possessed me. Something horrible, not of this world," James began to sit up slowly with a transfixed look of fear "It grasped my soul and took my reigns of control."  
  
"Poor boy. What a horrible thing to do. I'll send you a piece of cake," Sirius said honestly, all of a sudden his face brightened and he looked as if he was in another world "That'll cheer you up. My mum makes the best cake, James. The best of the best. And I'm not just saying-"  
  
"So, I've heard," James voice was muffled since he covered his head with his pillow "It'll be me, Evans, and Dumbledore. Merry damn Christmas to me,"  
  
"Amen. Merry damn Christmas to you, too," Remus said, clapping James on the back before hauling his large suitcase out of the room "I would send you a piece of cake to, but frankly, my mom's cake suck,"  
  
"Well, cake won't take away this permanent depression anyways," James said wearily.  
  
"That's what you think. One whiff of my cake and it will be instant happiness. I'm not joking! This is great cake, brilliant, I tell you!" Sirius argued.  
  
"Uhuh, great Sirius. I'll see if the cake lives up to your great descriptions when I taste it."  
  
He walked them to the stairs, waved good-bye and watched them leave.  
  
He walked back into the Common Room and looked around. There was an eerie quietness that almost spooked him. It had never been that quiet. It was always bustling and loud and crowded, and now he was the only person in the room. It felt pretty weird to him. James sat down on the couch and buried his head in his arms.  
  
Why did he sign his name on that list to stay over for Hogwarts? He certainly didn't have a reason to. That possession theory he had told Sirius was beginning to sound like something he should look into because he honestly didn't know why.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily sat in the common room snuggled in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, reading a book. She'd never thought the Common Room could be so cozy. Sunlight streamed into the room through the immense windows and the room was brighter than it had ever been. She leaned back onto the large, plush pillow she'd brought from home and closed her eyes, feeling as if she was drinking peacefulness instead of hot chocolate. She lay there like for a while, losing track of time.  
  
"Hey!" she heard someone shout.  
  
She jumped up from her spot and let out a screech of surprise.  
  
"Stop it James," she snapped, as he began to laugh "It wasn't funny. Rude, obnoxious, mean, it was. Funny, I think not."  
  
"Your face was priceless," James said when he had finally calmed down "I mean priceless. We are talking Mona Lisa, capturing Voldmort priceless. It looked sort of this-" he said screwing his face into what looked to Lily thought was identical to a picture of a caveman she had once seen, though he obviously thought it looked like one full of shock and surprise"-except in a girl's face,"  
  
"I am still mad at you," Lily said crossing her arms and moving away from him "If you're mean to me I won't hang out with you at all on Christmas. I mean it."  
  
"Is that a threat or a promise?"  
  
Lily glared at him and began to get up to leave, but he grasped her arm and said pleadingly "No, Lily, I'll be a good boy. Please play with me?"  
  
"What does my dear boy want to do?" Lily asked sarcastically, sitting back down.  
  
"Can we go play outside? If we play outside, I'll work on the project with you after." He said in a half-joking, half pleading tone.  
  
"Whatever floats your boat," Lily said getting up.  
  
"That is a really cool phrase," James commented, nodding his head slowly "I've always wanted to say it but it never seemed like there was a right time to say it."  
  
"I can be very cool and hip when I want to be."  
  
James laughed at her joke and Lily narrowed at her eyes "Why are you laughing? I wasn't joking!"  
  
"Oh," James stopped suddenly, flustered "I was thinking about this thing. You see, it's a man thing. You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Oh, male chauvinist pig time, is it?" Lily snapped.  
  
"Ok, I'll just get my coat now," James said nervously.  
  
They both went back to their dormitories to get on heavier clothes and then traipsed down the steps in silence.  
  
"So, hows the girl?" Lily asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Who?" James, said, clearly confused.  
  
"Would it be better if I said snobbish cow? How's your darling Rita?"  
  
"She's not my darling no more," James answered, " I had to break it off. She is so whiney, and annoying-"  
  
"and bratty-"  
  
"and snobbish-"  
  
"stupid-"  
  
"ungrateful-"  
  
"A snobbish cow!" they both blurted out at the same time, before laughing.  
  
Lily leaned onto the banister for support as her body shook with loud giggles. Finally, they calmed down and reached the end of the long staircase. Lily began to go into the direction of the doors that led to outside but James went the other way.  
  
"James, the outdoors is that way," Lily pointed in the direction she was walking "After being in this school for six years I would only HOPE you knew,"  
  
"We are not going that way. We're going outdoors, just a different outdoors than you thought," James said innocently, beckoning for her to follow him.  
  
"Does this involve anything against the rules?" Lily said narrowing her eyes, before running to catch up to him "It better not be another Shrieking Shack again,"  
  
"Not another Shrieking Shack, I can assure you. Now close that little mouth of yours and follow me."  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
"You're so mean, James! I saw it first," Lily squealed pulling on the last Chocolate Frog in Zonko's.  
  
"So? I got to it first,"  
  
"But I saw it first. I said ' Hey, look, there is the last chocolate frog,' and then you ran like a little weasel with those rat eyes and that pointy nose and those stupid sharp little teeth and got it first."  
  
"Finder's keepers," James argued.  
  
"You didn't FIND it. Technically, I did."  
  
"Fine,um....toucher's takers?" James suggested feebly "It doesn't matter anyway-" he paused as went to pay for it "-its mine now."  
  
"Weasel," Lily said again, narrowing her eyes at him "You better give me a piece,"  
  
"Hey, I am a nice guy," James said, breaking it in half.  
  
They ate the chocolate in silence on the way to the Three Broomsticks. James had ended up bringing them to Hogwarts. He'd showed her the secret passageway he and Remus had found in second year through a statue of a one- eyed witch. He'd thought Lily would protest and put up a huge fight, but she was actually pleased with him, which he had found strange. He'd never thought she would ever approve of breaking the rules, whether it was school time or holidays. So far, the holidays didn't look like they would turn out so bleak after all.  
  
They had a pleasant time at the Three Broomsticks. It was the weirdest thing James had ever experienced. He and Lily joking, talking, laughing-it was just something he had never thought of. Friends. They were friends. Or where they? Well, one thing that was for sure is that they weren't enemies anymore.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As they walked through the secret passageway, Lily reflected on her afternoon. It hadn't been too bad. She and James had been civil and the taunting arguments they one had, usually seeming so offensive was more of a light banter now. She shivered slightly from the cold and was grateful when they finally left the coldness of the passageway and came into the warmth of Hogwarts. Lily never thought she was going to have a good time during this Christmas. Maybe her Christmas was going to turn out all right instead of what she had thought it was going to be.  
  
"All right, so I'll see at dinner?" James asked her casually as they came to the staircase that led to the dormitories.  
  
"Not so fast," Lily smirked "You said we would work on the project after we went 'outside'. This time I have the books, so it won't be a horrible repeat of last time. You just sit tight and wait here while I go get everything,"  
  
"Lily, its Christmas vacation. No one does work on Christmas vacation," James complained, bowing his head.  
  
"Well, we do. We do not flock like sheep to its leader. We are individuals and are different and don't care what other people think, right? Just as I thought. Now, wait here." Lily managed to say all in one breath as she rushed up the stairs two at a time.  
  
She heard James groan, but took no notice of it. Lily quickly mumbled the password and ran to her room. She bent down and stuck her hand underneath the bed, pulling out the books. They were quite dusty even though they had only been there for a week at the most; so Lily quickly blew on it, sending the dust into corners of the room, before rushing back down to make sure James was still there.  
  
"Great, let's go settle down in the library," Lily said eagerly, tugging none too gently on his arm.  
  
"You are going to rip the fabric," James muttered, following her lead.  
  
"You sound like such a girl, saying that," Lily giggled, rolling her eyes.  
  
They entered the library and sat down, poring over books. They spent the next our perusing books, and taking notes on them, for the project. Actually, Lily was doing most of the perusing. James had gotten bored after the first fifteen minutes and was now trying to see how many pages he could move when he blew at his hardest on a book.  
  
"Twenty two," he remarked happily, jerking Lily from her concentration "I finally broke my all-time record! Oh my G-d! Did you see that?" He asked Lily and then realizing he had just given himself away added "I mean did you see that-that-my hair is umm, different than yours? No, I mean that your hair is really messy to-no, that my book is brown-no-"  
  
"Shut up already!" Lily exclaimed "Thank you for pointing out the obvious. No, I didn't realize my hair was MESSY-" she paused to make a face as she said that"-though you should be one to talk! Your hair looks like a bird used it to make a nest!"  
  
"Hey!" James protested, "My hair is not that bad. Is it?"  
  
Lily ignored him and looked over at his notebook, and saw barely a page of notes written which contrasted greatly to the six pages she had managed to fill up in her rather tiny handwriting. He had barely done a thing! Lily's anger seethed. If James thought he was going to get through the project riding on his coattails he had another thing coming.  
  
"James, what in G-d's name were you doing?" she said slowly through gritted teeth "Because I have utterly no idea,"  
  
James grinned weekly, obviously trying to soften her with one of his famous sweet faces, but seeing it didn't work, the smile vanished quickly.  
  
"I was.... you...see.... well, yeah. I sorta-"  
  
"Get to it already," Lily interrupted, clearly annoyed.  
  
"I was reading at first but then I blew on this book and the pages moved, so I thought, whoa, lets see how many pages I could move and I sorta got caught up in it-" he paused and seeing the mad look on her face added "- I got up to twenty two! Isn't that impressive? Want to give it a go?"  
  
"No, I don't want to give that beyond insane thing a try. I want you to try to actually CARE about this project. I want you to have a go at WORKING on it, and not actually making me do everything. I think it would be impressive if you took more than half a page of notes. I'm sick of this already and it has to stop. Now, I'm done with what I set out to do today, and clearly you are most definitely NOT. So, I'm going to go relax now and you are going to fill two bland, bleak white papers with some glorious and witty writing on these books right here-" she pointed to two books on her left "-or else."  
  
"Lily, honestly-"  
  
"No, I mean it. If you want me to tell Professor McGonnagol you actually had some part in this project, you have to do something! Now go to it!" she said clamping him on the back, before leaving him in his misery.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
"Presents, Lily, presents!" Lily heard James exclaim.  
  
She rolled over in her bed and moaned into her pillow "Go away, you mongrel,"  
  
"Its Christmas! You have to get up," James said, sounding like an excited child  
  
"Shut up! Shut up!" she said with a bit of force "Get out, you idiot,"  
  
"Fine, but don't expect me to give you a piece of Sirius's mum's cake,"  
  
Lily just moaned again in reply and sighed happily when she heard the door close and knew he had left. She hadn't meant to be mean, but honestly! Who cared if it was Christmas? She still wanted her sleep.  
  
She slept for what seemed like hours but when she opened her eyes it was only a half an hour later. She hauled herself out of bed, threw on slacks and a sweatshirt, and went down to breakfast. She would have more than enough time to open her presents later.  
  
"What'd you get?" James asked excitedly as she sat down next to him and began to pour sugar on her porridge.  
  
She couldn't bear to look. The first year without presents from her parents. She wanted to crawl under the table and stay there staring at the floor until Christmas was over. Christmas was always the time when she bonded with her parents and never again would that happen. Lily blinked back a tear and told herself to get real. They were dead, whatever. Things like that happened all the time. It wasn't like she was the only orphan in the whole world or something.  
  
"Dunno, didn't look yet," she made herself reply carelessly, as she gulped down large spoonfuls of porridge.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
James gave her a look as if she had just told him that she wanted to shave her head, buy a monkey and live inside one of those portable toilets. Things like that just didn't happen! You always open your presents right when you woke up! Maybe it was a magic thing so muggle-borns didn't know this kind of thing. He shuddered to imagine a life where you allowed your presents to linger under the tree all wrapped up for hours, possibly days!  
  
"Have you gone mad?" He exclaimed "How can you not open your presents right when you wake up? You made me finish all those dumb notes in one night! So I demand you to open your presents."  
  
"You are soo juvenile!"  
  
"You have no desire?"  
  
"Oh, the temptation is killing me," Lily said sarcastically "As we speak, my body is developing a deathly illness that is totally incurable and will kill me in approximately five hours."  
  
"Tradition," James pounded his hand down on the wooden table. Ouch! He shook his hand out and grabbed the ice from Lily's juice so a bruise wouldn't form.  
  
"Ew!" Lily made a revolted face "That is pure disgustment! Why are so immature? Even an immature two year old wouldn't do that! Take ice from their own cup, maybe, but not from someone else's!"  
  
James ignored her and went on "Tradition, I tell you! I can't believe you aren't the least bit interested in what you got. Come on, you are acting like an old lady!"  
  
"Revolting, immature, disgusting, horrifying," Lily rattled off, clearly ignoring him to "I just don't understand what ignorant, under minded, poor soul would do that!"  
  
"Even an old lady would look at her presents! You are acting like a troll. They are too stupid to know what a present is. They don't even know what Christmas is!"  
  
"And my cousin, who is not even two yet, mind you, is more mature than you are! She has table manners unlike your inhumane nature of eating. Wolfing down food like a pure animal is what you do!"  
  
On and on they went until breakfast was over off in their own lectures to each other. Finally James picked himself off his chair and held out a piece of the cake Sirius had sent him.  
  
"Want some?" he interrupted Lily.  
  
She looked down surprised "Oh, sure!"  
  
He gave her a piece, their fights forgotten at the mention of cake.  
  
James bit into his piece and felt like he was on heaven "Amazing!"  
  
"Sirius is the nicest, kindest boy I have ever met," Lily declared.  
  
"You said that me and him were rascals with bad haircuts," James intervened.  
  
"Hey, if your mom makes cake like this, I'll call you sweet too."  
  
************************************************  
  
They had just finished eating and as she lay in her bed, she came to the horrific realization that she-No. It couldn't be. Lily tried to shrug it off, but it just kept coming. Those weird feelings, they just wouldn't stop. They rushed through her body, pouring out from her heart and were the reason she had barely slept in two days and that her hair was knotty and her eyes had bags the size of Oklahoma. And she couldn't stop thinking about- No she was not going to think the name. Ja-No, she wasn't going to allow herself to think that forbidden name. Jam- She was just tricking herself into thinking she actually had FEELINGS for that jerk- James. Why did she just think that? She distinctly remembered telling herself NOT to think that. Who was she to disobey herself? What a second, her conscience intervened, this is just plain insanity.  
  
"I am not going to think of that stupid, despicable, G-d forsaken, forever forgotten name," she shouted, jumping up and down on the hat James had left in her room.  
  
"Why are jumping up and down on my hat like a red-haired baboon?" James asked, as he stepped into her room.  
  
Lily immediately stopped jumping and blushed. She definitely couldn't think about him in front of him! What if he could read her mind? She knew that was far from likely, but you never knew.  
  
"I am not 'jumping' on your hat like a baboon," she retorted hotly "I am...I am...doing something to it but there is a reason. I assure you there is a glorious, magnificent, amazing................reason,"  
  
What in G-d's name was she spewing?!  
  
"Well, I'll leave you to it," James said uncertainly "I just came to ask you if you would like to hang out for a bit."  
  
Hang out for a bit? Lily's heart beat wildly. Hang out with James...He asked her to hang out with him! So many times she had wished that he would- No, no, no! She didn't want to hang out with that male pig, she scolded herself.  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Lily said, carelessly, trying to suppress a smile. Why was she smiling? It better be because she was thinking of endless ways to torture the life out of James, she told herself.  
  
"So," James asked as they settled in the Common Room "I never asked you why you were here on Christmas. This is the first year."  
  
"Yup, it is," Lily said, hiding her sadness under the unemotional mask she put on her face.  
  
"Well, why did you?"  
  
"Why did I what?" Lily pretended not to know what he was talking about even though it was so utterly obvious, that even one of James idiotic old girlfriends would know what he was talking about.  
  
"Duh," James replied "Why did you stay here for Christmas?"  
  
"Um, well duh to you," Lily answered evenly "Why would I stay home for Christmas?"  
  
"Relaxation, time away from school, not too mention family bonding time,"  
  
Yeah, well how can I do that when I don't have one?"  
  
"Don't have what?" James leaned forward curiously.  
  
"You know...." Lily trailed off vaguely, not being able to bring herself to say it.  
  
"Ah, no, I don't," James joked.  
  
"I don't have a stupid dumb family!" Lily shouted all of a sudden, sounding very much like a two year old having a tantrum "They dropped dead as mice are after they are eaten by a snake who doesn't give a damn about how their messed up family will feel, Ok? Is that what you wanted?!"  
  
Lily breathed heavily, shaking as she moved away from James touch.  
  
"What are you talking about? You do have a family!" James answered urgently, shaking his head.  
  
"No, I don't," Lily retorted, bright red and ready to kill him if that would shut him up "I think I would know if I did,"  
  
"But, I just saw them last year!" he insisted "They were picking you up, and they were very much alive,"  
  
"Well, newsflash! Not anymore, they're not! They are very much dead now. I saw them, I was at the funeral. They are now fifteen feet under ground with a ton of dirt covering them, if that is dead enough for you," Lily snapped.  
  
"How?" James asked gently.  
  
"How do you think?" Lily laughed strangely, with an eerie smile of sadness "Voldmort, who else? We were stepping out of Diagon Alley, during the massacre of the muggles. They were caught in it, and I wasn't. They went there for me and died. Happy?"  
  
"No," James said sadly, putting an arm around her "I'm not. I'm sorry,"  
  
"Well, for some reason I don't seem to care. Now, I have better things to do then to sit here, reminiscing about my dead, dead parents," Lily said defiantly, tears sliding down her face.  
  
"Lily, stop it," James said, grabbing her.  
  
"Get off me," Lily said through gritted teeth "I'm just a tiny bit pissed right now, okay? This will pass. I just need a little time alone. I'm not mad at you, just plain mad."  
  
And with that she got up, and left. She closed the door to her room, and jumped onto her bed, sobbing. Well, at least one good thing came of this, she thought to herself wryly. Nothing like a confrontation about your dead parents with a boy to make you hate him like there was no tomorrow.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
IM DONE! YAY! PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!! I DONT EVEN KNOW IF IT WAS GOOD...I NEED YOU TO TELL ME!  
  
Thanks to: bixxxou- that was so nice of u! I tried to read your stories but I don't know French! LOL Jade hunter- uh thanx 4 the FYI but.did u like the story? Parselmouth- im also happy I didn't give up! I love your new story! Raven-gal2002,starr, snufalufagus-thanx a bunch!, Chris Atola, Adrian Pucey, Pigs*IN*a*blanket-I LOVE U JAS! Every1 read her new fic!, Yvette(I have the same name as u!), ShroudedSpirits- a happy dance 4 me???THANKU!, Drops of Jupiter, ma'hi, AND SOMEONE- I love ur fics, thanx soo much 4 reviewing! 


	8. Something that came from Nothing

Dedicated to Pigs*In*A*blanket who is better update her stories now!  
  
Chapter 9  
  
"Sometimes  
  
I wish I was brave  
  
I wish I was stronger  
  
I wish I could feel no pain  
  
I wish I was young  
  
I wish I was shy  
  
I wish I was honest  
  
I wish I was you not I  
  
'Cause  
  
I feel so mad  
  
I feel so angry  
  
I feel so careless  
  
So lost, confused, just mad  
  
I feel so cheap  
  
So used, unfaithful  
  
Let's start over  
  
Let's start over."  
  
I feel so- Box Car Racer-really brilliant song!  
  
James just didn't understand sometimes. Now you may be thinking, well that was rather vague what do you mean by he didn't understand? Or you may be in a more aggressive mood and be thinking- Good Lord, I don't understand things sometimes either, could you be a tad more specific and tell us what he didn't understand because from that sentence we aren't getting too much! But the truth was plainly that sometimes James didn't understand things in general. He didn't understand why water turned to ice when put in cold tempature, or when heated, ice would turn into water- it just did. He didn't understand why exactly someone would waste their time or life becoming a Professor to teach a bunch of brats, but obviously some people did find reasons or there would not be a Hogwarts today.  
  
However, this time James didn't understand something specific: girls. He had always thought he had; if he hadn't then why had he been so popular with them? He'd always known exactly what compliment to say to a girl to make them feel pretty- and G-d knows, that's all it seemed girls wanted- they were quite vain, he'd always thought. But when Lily ran to her dormitory, crying, he came to the abrupt realization that girls were actually pretty foreign to him. They lied all the time but then accused guys of lying after all, it had been pretty clear that Lily had gotten mad at him for some unknown reason (he'd only said the things he thought would make her feel better) but she had lied to him and said she wasn't. And girls were always so uptight- you said one little thing and it could send them into hysterics. He just didn't understand and he was begining to wonder if he ever would, or if it was strange that he was so bothered about it.  
  
When school had continued after Christmas holidays had ended, he had asked Sirius if he understood girls and Sirius had replied:  
  
"For Christ's sakes, James! I'm not insane! The only way to understand a girl is to be one of them- insane. We as men are not supposed to try to understand them. We are supposed to thank G-d for saving our asses when he made us guys because if we were girls we would be insane, horrible people! I mean look at them. Always giggling, giggling giggling about the stupidest thing or crying for dumb reasons like if their new sweater was ripped and there was no way to fix it or if they lost a bit of money. Do you want that to happen to you? I should hope not! Now keep your head out of that stuff- it is just not for us,"  
  
Judging by Sirius's answer he was beginning to wonder if it was the other way around and that it was guys who were insane. But then again, you just couldn't go by Sirius.  
  
He'd tried to make whatever went wrong with him and Lily right, but she just wouldn't listen! He knew she was avoiding him, but he just didn't understand why, and every time he tried to ask she was busy. Before he could even ask what exactly she was so busy with, she was gone! This was even worse, it seemed to him, then the days when he had hated Lily. Why couldn't everything be simple again? James hated when things got like this but somehow, it always did.  
  
*!*!*!*!*!*!*  
  
"G-d, he is so thick headed!" Lynn fumed as Lily escaped from James once again "I mean it is sooo obvious you are trying to avoid him. Can't he take a hint and make it easier on both of you?"  
  
"I know," Lily agreed, flipping her hair flamboyantly "He doesn't even know why I'm mad at him. Why is he so inhumanely trollish sometimes? Do I have to explain everything to him? And I have to work with him tomorrow night. Sirius finally cornered me and set up a meeting tomorrow to work on the pro side. I hate this stupid debate thing,"  
  
Joy sighed " Men! Can't live with them, ca-"  
  
" Oh yes we can live with out them!" Lily cut in "Or at least we can live without certain men, such as the one that I have been trying to live without but he just won't allow it,"  
  
Annie nodded and said "He really should apoligize already. Its only right,"  
  
"Whatever," Lily rolled her eyes "Honestly, its not like I CARE,"  
  
Or so she told herself. 'No, she answered to herself (A/n: honestly the self contradictions are just getting ridiculous. sorry for putting you all through this. It is just cruel of me) 'She was NOT just 'telling' herself anything. She really didn't care. Why didn't her subconcious just get the picture already and stop it with the consistent murmers of untrue thoughts? Get a clue already, she shouted back inside her mind. It was becoming like a battle field in there!  
  
Trying to ignore the inner turmoil, she sat down on one of the lavish couches and began to reorganize her book bag, even though it really didn't need reorganization. Every paper was sitting in side a folder, which was categorized as well as color-coded. She cursed the person who gave her the obsessive neatness gene because it was horrible trying to satisfy to the extent that it wanted everything to look like.  
  
"You know, for some reason I haven't been able to get a hold of you for two weeks. Weird isn't it? We are in the same house and all the same classes but for some reason we just haven't been able to have a nice chat. Or even a quick banter. Or even a two liner. Sort of makes a guy think that they were being avoided, you know?" Lily sighed as James voice floated gently into her small ears, tiny in fact, and she squirmed uneasily in her chair.  
  
"Well, it takes two to have a conversation, doesn't it?" She said lightly despite the rage gurgling inside of her like horrible indigestion.  
  
"It only takes one to avoid," James pressed on.  
  
"It only takes two to be in a fight."  
  
"Ha, I knew you were mad at me! You just admitted it right there, so don't deny it," James exclaimed, looking as if he had made a brilliant discovery  
  
"G-d, if you are so insistent on knowing, maybe I am avoiding you a bit, ok?" Lily blurted out, jumping up for a second, which caused her book bag to fall. All of the time and effort that went into the organization Lily had so attentively attained was ruined. She glared at James, her green eyes almost red from anger "Look what you did!" *~*~*~*  
  
As usual they went blaming things on other people. It was like their main goal in life other than acting dainty and fragile so that they would break in a second. James was really beginning to hate this other sex a lot which was weird because it used to be one of his favorite things.  
  
"I didn't do anything!" James exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air madly "There you go blaming me again! You're mad at me for asking about your parents, even though you said you weren't. Jeez, Lily, I'm sorry and all, but you can't kill someone for asking. All I did was ask and there you go hating me all over again and avoiding me which is even worse than when you were mean to me,"  
  
He said that all in one breath, and panted like a kleptomaniac when he finally finished. Lily stared over at him again, not with angry eyes this time, but with confused, searching ones, like she was digging into his soul. It was James's turn to be uncomfortable and he did it with quite flair, squirming and averting his eyes, mumbling words of nonsense under his breath. He hated when people stared at him like that. Like they knew something about himself that he didn't.  
  
Finally she opened her mouth and spoke "You just don't see to understand anything. Why didn't you know in the first place? And the whole day you just badgered me on and on and when I finally tell you, you say the absolute things that you are not supposed to say under any circumstances. Like if they wrote a book called "Things you should never say" what you said would be in bold, italicized, underlined, and on the first page,"  
  
"Yea, well, if they wrote down everything you say to me, it would be in a book called "Most Obnoxious Sayings," James sputtered, clenching his fists angrily.  
  
Lily stared him for a second, with bemused eyes this time before remarking "I hope you know that was very lame. If I was going to write a book called "Lame Comebacks" that one would be on the first page,"  
  
James laughed, opening his hands slowly and placing them on his lap "I give up. Look, can we just put this behind us? I just want to be friends again."  
  
Lily studied him, from the top of his unruly hair to the bottom of the muddy soles of his brown worn out shoes that he had gotten in the beginning of last year. When he saw her stare at them he tried to move them somewhere so she couldn't see them. G-d, he really did need to get new shoes. But suddenly, her eyes popped back up to his face and he forgot about them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
She wondered why he cared so much. Lily thought that he didn't care about anything. He always seemed so free, so unattached moving from thing to thing or, she thought wryly girl to girl. She wanted be friends again, though. Lily would never had thought it, but it was actually fun being friends with James Potter. He was interesting.  
  
"Whatever," she muttered in a careless tone, to hide her happiness "If you care that much, fine."  
  
James smiled then, a clumsy, awkward smile, yet she had never seen him look so genuine. She smiled back curving her lips just the slightest, but the smile seemed ever so much bigger from the way her eyes shone. He moved just the tiniest bit closer, and she adjusted her pose so that her arm was just centimeters away from his body. Lily didn't know why and even though her mind was sending her huge warning signals, reprimanding her to the fullest, reminding her about all those girls he'd dumped, she did it anyway. His hand moved closer to hers, covering the light that had shone between them from the sunset reflecting on the window, and she moved her hand from behind her hair to her lap, practically signaling him.  
  
G-d, her mind screamed- no, it didn't scream, it was beyond that, it more or less trembled with anger and began to refer her to some mental asylums- who did she think she was? One of those busty blondes, with half a brain and a suitcase full of makeup? Well, if she did, she was quite mistaken. Lily only owned about one lipstick, which was a present from her parents when she was fourteen and they had been quite mistaken, thinking that she was going to be a normal teenager. Plus her hair was anything but blonde, and sadly, G-d hadn't given her too much to flaunt, if you know what that meant. Still, she was acting like one of those prostitutes, her mind bellowed to her. She had one last chance to be sane, get up and free herself from this insanity and corruption. But Lily didn't take it.  
  
Instead she moved her hand from her lap, so that it was touching- yes, voluntarily touching!- the tips of his fingers, and bent her face down, shyly. James looked at her hands, staring at them for what seemed like hours even though it was just mere moments, and then slowly looked up at her face, with questioning eyes. Lily tried to swallow but her mouth was too dry, and try as she might to avert her eyes from him, they seemed to have developed minds of their own, and wouldn't leave his eyes. His amazing eyes, light brown, with deep dark green flecs that seemed to form a swirling pattern, weaving you into a powerful spell to compelling to break. But just as he moved his hand on top of hers, they heard a loud exclaim.  
  
"James," Sirius shouted, bounding over and jumping onto the couch next to Lily.  
  
Lily and James broke apart quickly. She folded her legs and arms, panting slightly, her heart beating so fast she felt like she was going into a cardiac arrest. And it was so loud, too. Not a bomp, bomp, bomp any more but a BAM, BAM, BAM. She thanked the lord for Sirius coming then. Lily never realized how caught up in a moment you could get. She could have kissed him, and in front of all those people! What a scandal it would have been. Lily reminded herself of all those girls he'd dumped, warning herself not to let herself fall into that trap.  
  
"I thought we agreed to meet in the library for the project? Lily, you out of all people! I expected more of you and instead, I was the only one to show up,"  
  
"Sorry," Lily laughed weakly "I'll go get the books."  
  
So, they went to the library and worked for a few hours poring over books, making big advances in the project. Lily and James acted courteous to each other, like nothing had happened. And in a way, nothing had. Maybe to Lily, but not to James, she thought. After all, he'd been with so many girls, almost touching a girls hand probably meant nothing to him. She didn't realize how wrong she was.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Later after they had finished the project, and James was in his bed, he touched his hand, thinking of the pale, soft one that had almost been in his. He couldn't stop thinking about her hands. He'd never thought someone could have perfect hands and what an affect they could have on him. They were small and wispy, with no blemishes or scratches. Her nails were a pinkish tone, with a bit of pearly whites at the end. All nails would sound like that if you described them, but hers were even richer in color and so perfectly shaped.  
  
James couldn't believe something had almost happened. Could had it touched her way it touched him? It had been such a simple un-noticing gesture, yet to him it was so thought provoking and deep. But certainly, she couldn't have thought of it the same way. James didn't think that anyone would remember something that really was nothing. But he did even though he didn't know why he did. Surely she wasn't in her bed, thinking of something that didn't happen. Lily probably had gone to sleep the second her head hit the pillow. He too didn't realize how wrong he was.  
  
For Lily was also in her bed, her eyes staring at the wall, but she was really staring into her mind playing the scene over and over. His smile was burnt into her mind as sweet and gentle as it had been. Lily imagined her lips touching lips that smiled like that and wondered what it would feel like. She blushed at that thought and tried to make herself stop thinking that. Was it possible that a mind could develop a mind of its own? It certainly seemed like hers did because it wouldn't listen to her commands at all.  
  
In a way she wished that moment had happened, but she felt a lot of relief from the fact that she didn't. Kissing brought on to many unknowing questions and she liked to be sure of things. James wouldn't want to go out with her, and if he did, she would only be another one of those girls, the ones she hated for being so stupid to think that he would like them. Lily told herself over and over that she didn't like him, but like she said, her mind had a mind and wouldn't listen. So she succumbed, and allowed it to think those thoughts, thoughts that made her blush as well as angered her for thinking them.  
  
And as the pale, wavering moon shone brightly, sending gentle light into the world, two people lay in bed thinking of what could have been, and wondering what it would have been like.  
  
A/n: Wow, so when I was writing the part when Lily forgave James, I was so NOT planning to make anything like that happened. So when I read this over I was like, huh, when did I write that?? W/e, I'm hoping you like it so please please pleassseee review! I am so desperate for reviews! I love them! I want to write poems about them and how they light up my soul and color my eyes and warm my toes or something like that-lol, you get the picture!  
  
THANX TO:  
  
Elsie: wow, im glad u liked my story! I think your review sorta got messed up though because you sorta sent me the same ten reviews-lol ChristyTomboy: aww, your so nice to me! I'm glad you like old clichés and your story is really cool! Krazy Kittie, Aw How Kuutie: interesting penname. Very original- I updated so now its ur turn! Omni: thanx so much for putting me on ur faves! And my mission in life is now complete. I am a Gone With the Wind missionary- that is such an amazing book!  
  
Parselmouth: Wow, you don't know how excited I was when I saw you updated your story, and that was the best chapter! I'm glad you liked the way I wrote the chap. (  
  
Bixxou: I'm so happy I made you laugh! That is my other goal in life.  
  
Pigs*In*A*blanket: every1 who reads my story check out the ficlet that I made her write-its on my favs and it rocks. Then read her other stories and convince her to update! Thanx 4 reviewing and convincing me to post the last chapter!  
  
Shrouded Spirits: did you decide on the randomly weird thing yet? See, I continued!  
  
Buggy-such: thanx a bunch!  
  
Starborn: your fic isn't boring! Thanx for reviewing!  
  
Lily potter: I'm also glad- its about time already!  
  
Blue-strawberry52: glad you thought it was good  
  
Ok, I'm done now, so please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	9. Mixed Signals and Lost Chances

A/n: I feel so dumb! I found the best Christmas song that I should have used for my other chapter- If anyone wants to do Christmas fic, you should use St. Patrick's Day by John Mayor. It's soooo good because all of his songs are good! SORRY FOR THE LONGETIVITY!!  
  
Back to you  
  
It always comes around  
  
Back to you  
  
I tried to forget you  
  
I tried to stay away  
  
But it's too late I'm so good at forgetting  
  
And I quit ever game I play  
  
But forgive me, love  
  
I can't turn and walk away  
  
-Love Song for No one- John Mayor  
  
"Lynn, you do know this must be the stupidest thing you've ever made us do?" Lily whispered, shielding the top of her head with a branch from the worn-out oak tree that stood in front of her.  
  
"You don't understand," Lynn whispered back earnestly, "I saw him smile at Belinda. Not sweet-bookworm-dear Belinda but the bitch-slut-whore-of-the- devil Belinda,"  
  
"Peter is just a nice person. He didn't mean anything by it," Joy said, pulling her foot out of a puddle of mud "These were my favorite pair of shoes, Lynn."  
  
"Oh my G-d!" Lynn began to shout, but Lily quickly covered her mouth with her hand so it was muffled.  
  
"Honestly, don't sabotage your own escapade, Lynn,"  
  
"He's talking to Marticia now! Her last boyfriend only lasted three months. She definetely wants him,"  
  
"He's talked to lots of girls before. This is such stupidity. I'm out of it," Annie declared, brushing her robes off as she stepped out of the bush she'd been hiding in "I'll be in the library,"  
  
Lily, Joy, and Annie had been forced by Lynn to help her catch Peter 'in the act.' Convinced that he was cheating on her, nothing Lily or the others would console her. So they had been skulking behind plants and poles for at least an hour, following his every move and motion. It had been a horror of an afternoon.  
  
Lily stepped out from behind the tree, following Annie's suit and said "No, Lynn. I'm gone. You know I love you desperately and dream of frolicking with you underneath the sun, but this is too much. Sorry, sweetums. Peter is not fricken cheating on you!"  
  
"Lily likes Lynn? Cool!" Lily heard a voice next to her. She turned quickly and saw Sirius there grinning madly, no doubt with putrid images in his mind.  
  
"Come on, Sirius. Even you aren't that full of stupidity. I hope. I was joking,"  
  
"Damn it!" Sirius exclaimed, shaking his head angrily.  
  
Lily just rolled her eyes and continued inside, shivering slightly from the cold. She was such a dolt, not bringing her jacket when it was January. Even Sirius had his jacket on. Lily had just been so preoccupied when she had come down to spy on Peter. All she could think about for the past day was-no, not that!  
  
She didn't care about him, she assured herself. He was a stupid little halfwit with crooked glasses and messy hair. Messy hair that she would like to run her fingers through, and then fix it up, her other side intervened. Lily made a sound that was between a groan and a moan, and tugged at her hair, trying to claw her way into her brain so she could pull out the part of her brain that kept injecting James into her thoughts.  
  
"You all right?" she heard James say.  
  
Aargh! He was always around! It was like her brain manisfested him to appear where ever she went, and it was horrible and wonderful. Half of her wanted to push him away and snub him terribly. The other half however was dying to get its hands on that messy hair of his and look into his sweet eyes and-wow, she interjected, she sounded like a huge dope.  
  
"Hellooo...anyone there?" James asked.  
  
"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine? You think I don't look fine? Why wouldn't I look fine? Why wouldn't you think I wasn't fine? Why wouldn't you...wouldn't..." Lily's voice drifted off into the wind.  
  
"OK. You're fine. I'll make sure never to ask that again. I'm such a moron. Why would I ask such a disgusting question?" James said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry," Lily offered him a half-smile, and the stupid part of her reached out and touched him lightly on his arm "I'm just sorta wired,"  
  
"Just don't do that again. I mean, if I can't be nice and I can't be mean, then I mean, what can I be?"  
  
"You're never nice to me," Lily answered back. Last year this would have been said in a taunting, angry tone but now it was said in a light, teasing, almost flirty ('Stop it! It is disgusting,' her rational side told her) tone.  
  
"And you are ALWAYS nice to me, right?" He joked back.  
  
"I'm just always nice,"  
  
"Where are you headed?" James asked civilly, quickening his pace to match hers.  
  
"The library,"  
  
"I'll walk you there," James offered.  
  
"That's all right," Lily turned him down.  
  
"No, really," He argued.  
  
"Really, its fine," she said a bit more forcefully.  
  
"I don't mind, if that's what you think."  
  
"I can walk there myself," she said through gritted teeth.  
  
"It would be my pleasure to walk this independent woman," James said, oblivious to the annoyance he was causing Lily.  
  
"Uch, get it through your puny little head already. I. Do. Not. Want. You. To. Walk. Me. Get it?" Her angry side took over as she brushed him away, continuing on briskly, leaving him behind.  
  
*!*!*!*  
  
James watched as Lily stalked off, shaking his head to himself. Why was she so mean to him? He had just tried to be nice, for once. Nothing ever worked with her. Once again he tried to fathom the mind of a girl and once again, he failed miserably.  
  
"You look weird," Sirius observed as he walked to James "Like you were rejected or something,"  
  
"Lily blew up at me again," James threw his hands up in defeat "I can't take it! I wasn't even mean, I was really nice. What does she want from me?"  
  
"James, take it from me, this nice thing you're trying, it just doesn't work. You need to be the perv to succeed. It always works. And this just doesn't," Sirius said in a decided voice.  
  
"You really think so?" James screwed up his face, contemplating if Sirius may actually be right. He never had failed in his obnoxious mode and, hell; he really had nothing to lose.  
  
"Yeah, you may be on to something," James agreed.  
  
"Ha! So you like Lily! Otherwise you wouldn't be trying this," Sirius admonished incredulously.  
  
"No!" James yelped "Well, I mean, maybe, like a little. But only a little. Not a lot. A-"  
  
"Little," Sirius finished for him "Yeah, I get it. Wow, you and Lily. Yep, that is definitely the worst match I can think of,"  
  
"Thanks for your support, man," James glared at him.  
  
Was he right? Was the thought of him and Lily that bad? Maybe Lily thought that also. Maybe? Of course she did! Last time James checked, she pretty much hated him. James moaned, and hung his head. Why did he always have to pick the things hardest to get?  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
Lily strolled into the Great Hall in high spirits. She smiled and waved to people, giggling at their bewildered glances. For as most people knew, Lily was anything but a morning person. Cranky, tired, obnoxious she was, but they had made so much progress in their project and she had finally gotten a good night's sleep so she couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Oh, what a beautiful morning...." she sang softly.  
  
"Oh, what a beautiful day..." Remus chimed in from behind her.  
  
'Huh?' she thought 'How did he know the song? Wasn't it a muggle one?'  
  
"I've got a beautiful feeling...." Sirius added, jumping next to Lily.  
  
Sirius singing was just plain scary but giving her mood this morning she decided to ignore the insanity of the notion and go along with it.  
  
"Everythings going my way..." They finished together.  
  
"How do you guys know that song?" she asked, when she was done giggling.  
  
"James sings it every day when he wakes up," Remus told her.  
  
"How does James know? Actually, I don't want to know how. I like my theories better than what the truth probably is," she laughed.  
  
"Why are you smiling?" Sirius asked "Its eight o'clock. You NEVER smile at eight o'clock,"  
  
"Why can't I smile? I can be a morning person sometimes,"  
  
"Whatever," Sirius shook his head.  
  
Lily waved goodbye as she spotted her three friends and walked quickly over to them. She hugged Lynn, and hooked her arms through Joy's, babbling about her morning.  
  
"Wait.....you are scaring me," Lynn stared at her.  
  
"You are going to the Hospital Wing pronto," Annie said, beginning to drag Lily with her.  
  
"Really, guys!" Lily laughed, pulling herself from Annie's grasp "Am I that bad in the morning, usually?"  
  
"You are quite the epitome of crankyness. This spur of cheeriness is just catching me off guard," Lynn answered.  
  
They sat down, piling their plates with food, Lily even going for seconds. Once again, she was met with bewildered stares, because she was known for barely eating and getting nasuas in the morning. She even heard a girl whisper to her friend how she had heard noises coming from the stall when Lily was in there so it was possible she were bulimic. Lily just rolled her eyes and ate, ignoring everything around her, and letting those remarks go.  
  
"So how's things with James?" Lynn brought up.  
  
"How they always are. How are things with Annie?" Lily retorted.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You asked how things are with James, I asked how things are with Annie. The questions aren't that different," Lily explained "Meaning why would you ask if you know we are friends, if you were too dense to understand what I said before,"  
  
"Lily don't discriminate!" Lynn scolded, pulling a strand of her blonde hair away from Lily "I can't help my hair color. (Go blondes! We rock!) I was checking how things were. Sooooorry,"  
  
"Its all right," Lily accepted her apology "Look, there he is now,"  
  
The four of them watched as James strode down the table to where Remus was sitting. However on the way there, he stopped right in front of Lily and stared at her for a second before winking at least three times. Lily's mouth dropped open, and James just smirked before walking on.  
  
"He winked at you!" Lynn squealed.  
  
"No, he didn't," Lily protested.  
  
"And he smiled in a flirty way!" Joy added.  
  
"No, he didn't! He smiled nicely and he didn't WINK. He blinked. Everyone blinks. So does he, ok?" Lily tried to persuade them, and more importantly herself.  
  
Her heart was beating furiously again. Why would he wink at her? He would only do that if he...well, if he.....but he didn't! Lily knew he didn't and she sure hoped he didn't. But for some reason, a small part of her kept telling her that he winked at her and was revelling in in it.  
  
"He always winks when he likes a girl. He always does!" Lynn repeated.  
  
"Well, he doesn't like me. And I'm not one of those stupid girls who just like him because he's hot or good at quidditch or rich. I would only like someone if they were NICE and not a PRICK. Just because I like James doesn't mean that he likes me," Lily blurted out, and then covered her mouth quickly.  
  
Like James? She just said that? Lily burnt from embarrassment and rage. She didn't like James, she really didn't! So why wouldn't her friends and that stupid subconscious just listen to her?  
  
"You like JAMES?" She heard Sirius echo.  
  
Crap! Well, when things like this happened, there was only one thing you could do...........  
  
"What are you talking about?" Lily screwed her face into one of confusion and bewilderment.  
  
.....Deny, deny, deny...........  
  
"You just said you did!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"No, I didn't," Lily said in a tone that conveyed what stupidity that was.  
  
"Yes, you did,"  
  
"I think I would know if I did. You should get your hearing checked," Lily suggested.  
  
"Did she just say she liked James?" Sirius asked Lynn.  
  
Lily shot Lynn a murderous glare and shook her head furiously "Hell, no!" Lynn said, catching on.  
  
Annie and Joy shook their heads for emphasis.  
  
"Did she just say that?" Sirius turned around to ask Peter.  
  
Lily knew those two extra galleons in her pocket would come in handy one day! She flashed it over Sirius's shoulder, and Peter seeing it, immediately complied "What are you going on about? You really are scaring me,"  
  
"Wow, you really didn't say it," Sirius looked dumb founded "Sorry, Lils,"  
  
"No harm done here," Lily said in an overly cheery voice "Well, buh-bye,"  
  
She slipped Peter the two galleons, and sighed happily, resting her head on her hands.  
  
"You said you liked James!" Lynn squealed when Sirius was long gone.  
  
"Shhhhh," Lily warned "I meant as a friend. But he doesn't like me at all,"  
  
"We all know you do," Joy wheedled.  
  
"I don't like that stupid prick! At least not like that," she added hastily.  
  
"Fine," Annie said nonchalantly.  
  
"Sure," Lynn said carelessly.  
  
"Whatever," Joy bit into her cracker.  
  
Yup, they totally believed her. NOT. Lily sat back into her chair and prepared herself for the tirades to come.  
  
************************************  
  
"So, did she notice?" James asked excitedly as Sirius sat down next to him.  
  
"Nope. She said you were just blinking. I thought I heard her say something but no one else did," Sirius told him.  
  
"What did you think she said?"  
  
"I'm not telling you. It'll just get your hopes up," Sirius said after a moment's hesitation.  
  
Ohhh..something that would get his hopes up meant that it would have been a good thing. He would kill if he had to, but he was going to get it out of Sirius.  
  
"You tell me now!" James demanded.  
  
"Come on James, it's just stupid," Sirius pleaded.  
  
"Tell me, dammit!" James said aggressively.  
  
"Fine. I thought she said she liked you but you didn't like her but everyone thought I was crazy or hearing things,"  
  
"You thought she said that?" James almost yelled.  
  
Heaven, floating and jumping among the clouds, fluffy rabbits and all that crap, that's how he felt! Lily MAY have said she liked him! He felt like he was floating upwards to the sky.....  
  
"But she didn't," Sirius reminded him.  
  
....And spiraling back down into the concrete ground. Honestly, couldn't Sirius allow him a moment to think that Lily liked him? Sometimes ignorance was really the way to go.  
  
"Who cares? At least you thought that," James whooped.  
  
"No, she did," Peter blurted out, looking disgusted with himself for saying that.  
  
"She what?" James moved in closer.  
  
"She said she liked you," Peter said louder this time.  
  
"I know, we already affirmed that she doesn't li-" James stopped at the end of his sentence when he realized what Peter said, and let his mouth hang, staring in disbelief.  
  
"But you told said she didn't before," Sirius protested.  
  
Peter opened his hand and in it were two galleons "More money for the marauder fund,"  
  
"She gave you money not to say that?" James finally found his voice. If she'd given money to Peter than it must be true.  
  
"Hell, yeah. She doesn't think you like her. She said that to,"  
  
"What?" James yelped, jumping out of his seat "I thought it was obvious! Where is she? I have to let her know!"  
  
Sirius pulled him back down, shaking his head sadly "And sound like a weeping bloody idiot? I am saving you from untold embarrassment. If you want to do this then you gotta do it suave and cool. We have a reputation?"  
  
"Screw it!" James muttered.  
  
And he meant it to. Reputation, shmeputation. Honestly, when you thought about, it didn't really make a difference because people just liked him since he was rich and good at quidditch. Being weird wouldn't really change anything. But not Lily.  
  
If it was true what Peter said, then she liked him for who he was and not for just being some quidditch star. James rolled his eyes at the thought. It was the kind of phrase that he and his friends used to make fun of and laugh at. He remembered saying love was some one's biggest weakness and now mentally kicked himself for it. Though he did always feel weak when Lily was nearby, in truth he'd never felt stronger. (a/n: GASP! sugar overdose!!! I hate being corny but it just goes that way- I am sooo sorry for putting you through this. I am an angel's demise into the land of the devil!)  
  
*********************************************  
  
"Lily, your a really nice person and while we didn't hit it off right at-"  
  
"What are we listening? Fifty years who couldn't find anyone better so they gotta take same lame dude on the street? Come on, James, teenager mode!" Sirius commented.  
  
"Lil, your a really cool chick and I think we can move together real groovy, ya know what I mean?" James tried even winking for measure.  
  
They were in their dormitories, and James was practicing lines to say. Usually finding a girlfriend would go along the lines of 'Yo, go out with me,'. But, like James had said, this was different. So far, however, it was not faring too well.  
  
"No, no, no. That is just way too sixties and way too......well, its just weird!" Remus finally said, when he couldn't think of any better words to say. "Try to be a little sweeter?"  
  
James sighed and nodded, shaking himself out and getting ready for another round.  
  
"But not like marmalade," Peter added.  
  
"Lily, I've been watching you lately. Closely, very closely. And I've seen a new side of you-"  
  
"-When I watched you take a shower yesterday. What is this, stalking confessions or something?" Peter shook his head.  
  
Well, really, though! Like Peter could say it better than him? James laughed at the thought.  
  
"Lily, I like you,"  
  
"What is this? It sounds like someone gave you a truth potion! Too direct!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"Damn it, Lily just snog me already!" James said exasperatedly, throwing up his hands in disgustment.  
  
"I love it! Perfect!" Sirius said enthusiastically.  
  
James just threw Sirius a look and rolled his eyes again. When Sirius was your best friend there was a lot less serious conversations and a lot more eye rolling.  
  
Well, I'm ready," James said decidedly.  
  
"Go get 'em, tiger," Sirius patted him on the back.  
  
Once again a look, and then an eye roll. It was almost like a ritual by now!  
  
**********************************************************  
  
Always, always, it always went back to him! Where ever she was, he always appeared out of nowhere. Once again, Lily found that she was being cornered by James. He'd barged into the Common Room and strode to her seat, sitting down purposefully next to her so Lily thought he was going to say something important, and then begins to talk about the most petty things! Did she really care that Professor Flickwick wore a wig or that James had seen Professor McGonnagol with her hair down?  
  
"- And it was really wavy and long. But she didn't know I was there because I was wearing the cloak-" James was saying, rocking back and forth as if he was nervous but why Lily had no idea.  
  
"Well, grand, but must run," Lily cut him short beginning to get up.  
  
"No, wait!" James said, putting a hand on her to stop her.  
  
"What? No offense James, but I'm really in the mood to gossip about teacher. They don't intrigue me all that much," Lily said.  
  
"Well, see, I really meant to say this other thing, but for some reason I kept talking about this," James explained.  
  
"Well get to the point, darling," Lily joked.  
  
"Well, Peter said this weird thing to me,"  
  
Lily stiffened "About what?"  
  
"Well he said...he said...not to be as sweet as marmalade. What is marmalade even?" James said, looking furious with himself for some reason.  
  
Lily breathed in deeply. So he hadn't sold her out.  
  
"Marmalade is sort of like sugar. Is that all?"  
  
"No. See I did that thing I did before with the teachers. Ok, so when I say this, don't blow up on me, ok?"  
  
"Why would I do that? Aren't I slow to anger?" Lily teased, laughing.  
  
"Well, Peter said, that you liked me or something like that. I mean, maybe he just lied because I was just wondering because I didn't think you since you always act like you don't but maybe you do, how should I know?" James rambled on nervously.  
  
That double-crossing rat! Lily was going to MURDER Peter.  
  
"He said what?" Lily exclaimed "The liar!"  
  
"Then why'd you give him two galleons not to tell me?"  
  
Damn it! He had to tell EVERYTHING didn't he?  
  
"Well, I didn't mean I LIKED you," Lily laughed as if that was absurd while frantically searching for something that would sound logical "I meant......"  
  
"That..." James prompted.  
  
"Well, like as a friend, ya know?" Lily fumbled along "But you hate me so I thought you'd laugh at me or something,"  
  
"That's all you meant?" James looked disappointed for some reason but Lily didn't know why.  
  
"Yeah...you thought I LIKED you?"  
  
"Oh, no!" But for some reason his laugh was too high-pitched for Lily too seem geniune "But Lily I don't hate you at all. I did,"  
  
"Well, great, we're friends, wonderment. But I got to run. Bye!" Lily jumped up and was out in a flash.  
  
That was sort of uncomfortable. Lily wondered how the conversation would have gone if she had admitted it. Would he have said he also did? Lily didn't think he did, but lately there had been signs... Alas, those lost chances that would never resurface....  
  
*********************************************************  
  
James looked at himself in the mirror. For the first time ever, his hair was gelled back and neat and felt like a greasy icicle. Poor Snape, he had to go through that every day. James had borrowed Sirius's clothes, and while he wasn't vain, well maybe he was but still, he had to admit that he looked bloody good in a leather coat.  
  
They had decided the only way for James to get Lily was to do it the cliché way. Get her jealous and make her realize what she had missed. And James was going all out. No girl would hide from him, he was going to find the perfect girlfriend if there was one to find.  
  
"You better bloody watch out," he said to himself "I will find you,"  
  
And he'd do it if it would kill it. Anything for Lily.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
G-d was that too corny??????? I am such a corny and fluffy person but other ppl may not to be. But the last line was sooooooooooooooooo corny. I know I am evil. When are they going to kiss???!!! Ok, I got it figured out, and not the next chap. but prob the one after that- Hey, I know its slow, but a) come on, you don't want it to end already! b) Lily is supposed to hate him- she's confused now and she won't kiss him if she cant even admit she likes him! Ok thanx to:  
  
Parselmouth Majere: Awww....thanx! I love my crap too- lol. Every chapter you write gets better and better and you have better write more soon b/c i am dying here!  
  
Night-'n'-Day- THANX SOOOOO MUCH! and i love your word- Capturenising- soo kewl!  
  
Omni: Eee.....I GOT someone to turn to jelly....hehe!  
  
manotlamma(frogs: TRIBUTE!! TRIBUTE!! MY 200TH REVIEWER!!! totem pole will be made in your name and new religion is born!  
  
Scary Miss Mary: I. LOVE. YOUR. FIC. everyone read it its like the best!!! THANX sooooo much for reviewing!! please please update! I am at your feet!!!  
  
Starborn: thanx! your other half.....I am hoping you share your pen name- otherwise...lol  
  
Pigs*IN*A*BLANKET: Update one of your stories already and you know I love you and once again this is dedicated to you!!!  
  
Shrouded Spirits: Well I updated so I am guessing I'm not going deaf by your squeaky voice?? I hope your allergies get better if thats what you meant!  
  
Someone: hey, i reviewed your fic, so you gotta update again so I can review again!  
  
Silver Arrow: I agree! Sirius is so evil. He should be banned but alas, we are all so hopelessly devoted to him  
  
Also thanx to : Jamie grl, blue rain cloud (believe me, your opinion means a TON) and kuro-tenshi_2nd REVIEW AND I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER! 


	10. Handplay

A/n: Soorry for the long wait but you know what happened? I was almost finished and my stupid damn computer erased the whole freaken chapter even after I had saved it a trillion times! I HATE it! I am sooo mad, like its not funny. I just want to take a hammer and smash my computer and if I had another one I totally would, but sadly I don't. And NOW, since it took so long for this chapter to come out, I will lose all my nice reviewers, and noone will review :( But if you wanna be nice; prove me wrong and R/R!  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Lily had been having the strangest day. Well, actually, she wasn't really having a weird day herself; she was just witnessing strange events. Particularly the strange events of James Potter, who couldn't have acted queerer if he was bewitched by Snape. He came down to breakfast with enough grease in his hair to fuel the cars of all Europe twice. Then he jounced about, acting like a puppet, bouncing from table to table, chair to chair, girl to girl. Lily had to twist her neck around so many times, she thought it was just going to fall off.  
  
Lily had thought she'd finally cracked James code; thought she was beginning to understand him. However, this was just another signal, telling her she didn't understand him in the least. Lily had thought he was beginning to give up his player days; boy, did today prove her wrong in sooo many ways.  
  
Transfiguration: Given a detention for flirting with Amy Parker during lessons. Herbology: They were working with toxic plants, so Professor Sprout asked him to remove the leather jacket he had borrowed from Sirius. It got stuck on him, and Professor Sprout had to cut it off with garden sheers, much to the complaining of Sirius. Charms: sent to the Infirmary due to the injury he got from falling off his chair since he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of Amy Parker's arse, even as she went to her seat in the back of the room. Arithmancy: Bribed the person sitting next to Amy Parker five galleons to trade seats with him. Potions:Given a detention for staring at Lily's ear throughout the class. That one confused Lily the most because after the events of the day, it should be detention for Amy Parker's ear at least; not hers.  
  
"Mongrel," she muttered to herself as he walked by.  
  
However, the second she muttered that, he backed up so he was standing next to her and said "Did you just call me what I think you did?"  
  
Lily glared at him. She had been talking to herself, not him. How dare he eavesdrop on her personal conversation, with, well, herself? Ok, it did sound weird, but still, Lily felt she did have a point.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lily finally mumbled, fiercely wishing that their was a cliff right behind him so she could 'accidentally' push him over, and then stare, elated, at the splatter he made on the ground. She could be a bit vindictive sometimes, but it was only near James; he always seemed to bring out the worst in her.  
  
"You either just called me a monster or a mongrel- I'm not sure which one, but I definitely heard you say that. And now you're staring at me as if you want to push me off a cliff or something-" Lily's jaw dropped as he said that-had he read her mind?-"but I have no idea why."  
  
"Well, why don't you go ask Amy Parker's ass since that's what you seemed so keen on staring at all day? Oh no wait, you did take some time out to have a conversation of sorts with my ear which you were so intent on staring at during Potions, according to our endearing Professor," Lily snapped at him.  
  
James stared at her in shock for her out-rightness, but recovered quickly, and smirked as he said "Well, I didn't realize you had been watching me all day,"  
  
"It's not my fault you're in my bloody line of vision," Lily said hotly.  
  
"Well, I will ask Amy Parker's arse later, on our date. In fact may be I'll do more than ask,"  
  
"Oh, ew! Spare me, please," Lily covered her ears "Any ways, I don't understand why you seem to think she is so special. You even invested money in her, I heard."  
  
However, disgusted as she was, she couldn't help tighten her chest when James mentioned his date. What was that- Jealousy? No, but it couldn't be, she lectured herself. She didn't like James; she couldn't like him, not even if she wanted to for multiple reasons.  
  
"Well, a guy's got to do what a guy's got to do," James cocked his face to the left, putting on a mocking expression which Lily couldn't help but chuckle at "If you were a guy, you'd do the same,"  
  
"If I were a guy, I'd just wish I was a girl," Lily retaliated quickly, dismissing his last point "So, you scored with the Parker girl, huh? Don't want to be late do you?"  
  
"Oh, she'll wait for me. They always do," James said arrogantly.  
  
Lily's eyes widened at his vain tone, hoping he was joking when he said that. He was just sooo disgusting when he was around her; sometimes she had so much fun with him and other times she just wished she didn't know him.  
  
*********************************************************  
  
Why did he say that? James hadn't meant to come off so cocky; it was his defense mechanism. However, from her disgusted look, he could tell he had gone too far. He would have to do a full turn around to make up for it.  
  
"Calm down doll, I was just joking," James tried to reassure her while still acting suave and smooth.  
  
"Yeah, I sure hope so," Lily tossed her hair, acting like hen with all her feather ruffled up.  
  
"I'll think of you on my date," James said smoothly, moving closely to her.  
  
"Wonderful. I'm so pleased. Time to create a shrine, build a totem pole, and start a new religion worshiping you," Lily said in a monotone.  
  
"I am awed by your enthusiasm," James exclaimed over-enthusiastically, forcing a small smile out of Lily.  
  
"Aren't you funny?" Lily finally mustered. James laughed as she said that, since he knew she hadn't been able to come up with the hurtful comeback she'd wanted.  
  
"Aren't I?" He just shot back lamely.  
  
"Well, have fun with Amy's arse. Be nice to it, will you? When you break up with it, do it nicely; it's the least you could do after playing with her heart. I feel bad for all those poor girls. You're horrid to them," and with that she whirled around, leaving him dumbfounded and feeling horrible.  
  
So, that's what she thought of him: an arrogant, horrible with no heart who toyed with other people's emotions. But that's not how she was supposed to think of him! James ran down the hall after her, accidentally slamming into her, sending them both sprawling on the floor, on top of each other.  
  
"If you wanted to say something, you could have said it to me without bumping into me like that!" Lily exclaimed, after she had gotten up and brushed herself off.  
  
"You know, the bumping into you part wasn't actually an intentional thing," James said, as he got up.  
  
"Well...." Lily drawled, rolling her eyes.  
  
James mouth was suddenly dry. Why had he run after in the first place? He couldn't remember what he was going to say to her. Crap, he was not good at improvising.  
  
"I'm waiting. I hope I was at least smashed into for a reason," Lily tapped her foot impatiently as she said that.  
  
"I was just gonna say," James finally spurted out "That maybe you were right."  
  
"Right about what?" Lily asked, confused.  
  
"About what you said before." James said vaguely, not wanting to go into detail.  
  
He was wishing now that he had not ran after her- he was only making a fool out of himself. Plus, he was going to seem vulnerable now; and vulnerability is what led to rejection. And he didn't rejection, didn't even know exactly what it was. He liked the external cover of arrogance and mean words that shielded him. It was just safer that way.  
  
"I said a lot of things before, and was probably right about a lot of them. So which points that I said are you specifically talking about?"  
  
"All the stuff you said about me being a player, I guess. And not treating girls right. Maybe you were right," James finally expanded quickly, widening his stance, and staring down at the ground as he spoke.  
  
Lily stared at him strangely him for a moment, looking at him so closely James felt that she was judging each and every one of the molecules that made up his face, before saying "Great observation. Nice to know you've begun to open your eyes to see the obvious around you."  
  
"Well, thanks for the support," James shot back, straightening himself up, getting extremely annoyed with her snide remarks.  
  
"Your welcome. Oh, and now that you've come to a realization, I hope you act on it," Lily answered before once again turning on her heel and leaving him standing.  
  
James sighed and shook his head in frustration. He couldn't take this anymore. He was trying so hard, and what was she doing? Only making things harder. What happened to teamwork and cooperation? If Lily would cooperate things would just be so much easier. But then again, what little relationship they had consisted of one-liners and snide remarks; not much cooperation and teamwork needed for that. (A/N: I said that last par. sooo much better in the old draft. I miss it :( ) **************************************************************************** *****  
  
"- And then she's like to me 'Shape up, girl,' and I'm like 'Why?' and she's like 'Cuz I said so, stupid,' and I'm like 'Whoa, who gave you the right to say that to me?' And she's like 'the school.' Well, you know what James, I say damn the school, she still had no right to hurt me so. Don't you agree?" Amy looked at James hopefully for approval.  
  
James wanted to be able to roll his eyes, look at her scornfully, while snapping a scathing comment, but he knew that would just be going about it the wrong way. Besides, they were already back at the castle (James was NEVER sneaking out with a girl like that again; She had acted like she had been transported to another planet, exclaiming how exciting everything was), so he decided to just suck it up and settled for mocking secretly as he said "The frigid bitch! Though I'm sure Minerva used more tasteful words to diss you deservingly,"  
  
"Well, yea, she threw in some words like 'horrendous' and 'unrighteous' and some big words like that. Trying to act like she is better than me. Well, Professor, talk to the hand, because my wardrobe can beat up your wardrobe- " she stopped her tirade for a moment to pose and wouldn't move until James finally signified his approval "- and my hair can turn your hair into.... a huge mess of ugliness-" she stopped once again to bask in her 'brilliance "- G-d, I should really use these on peo-"  
  
James just had to shut her up! He leaned in to kiss her and she moaned with pleasure, digging her nails into his skin, and biting his mouth so hard he thought he was going to bleed. She moved her tongue around frantically, as if she had lost something, and pushed her body against his. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and pulled apart, saying "And I think we may be over," before waving and walking away.  
  
"I had fun, too," She shouted after him, waving like a maniac.  
  
James just chuckled to himself, as he stepped into the Common Room. A few days ago, Amy would have been the ideal girl friend. And now- now James saw what he should have seen- someone who didn't put too much emphasis on intelligence, kissed like a garden hose, and was totally incompatible with him. I mean, why would he want to talk about her 'discussion' with Professor McGonnagol all night? Frankly, he'd rather have actually been out with Minerva then with Amy; at least he could've scored some house points!  
  
**************************************************************************** **********  
  
Lily watched the conniving, scheming boy enter the Common Room with a conniving, scheming smirk. Ech, that irked her;after everything he had said to her, he still had gone off and acted like he usually did with girls: dreadfully. That liar! She turned the page of her book, fluttering her eyes on the room carelessly, pretending she had no idea he had come in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him look at her for a moment and stop, then turn completely around and hustle off to his dormitories.  
  
"Bastard," Lily mumbled, shaking her head.  
  
"Aren't they all?" Lynn answered, as she drew up for air in between the snogfest she was having with Peter.  
  
"Oh, shut up, you hypocrite," Lily glared as she teased Lynn.  
  
She sighed, a wave of emotions flowing over her. Disappointment, annoyance, desire- every ingredient that was always there when you had that curse: a crush. And G-d, Lily couldn't stop it anymore. She didn't understand herself anymore. James, asshole James, player James, her rational side would yell. Then her other side would sigh romantically and say cute James, nice James, funny James and it was a whole dramatic cycle.  
  
OK, she could do this. She closed her eyes and thought 'I like James. I have a crush on James'. Apprehension surrounded herself from every corner once she admitted to it. For one thing, she didn't know if James even liked her. In fact, she was almost sure he didn't. For another, even if they did go out, he'd probably just use her and dump her like the others. And the worst: Lily was scared. She didn't want to start something new, and yet she did. Even if James said he liked her, Lily didn't know how she'd respond. She was just so uncertain; was it even the right thing? She certainly didn't know and the only way to find out was to start allowing it.  
  
**************************************************************************** ******************  
  
"Hey, sweetheart," Lily turned around abruptly and breathed harshly when she realized it was him.  
  
"Jesus, James," She said, fanning herself "You scared the crap out of me."  
  
"My every intention," James smiled, and took her arm, steering her to a couch, acting way more confident than he actually felt "Come. Sit. Stay awhile,"  
  
"And why?" Lily asked, but she was already sitting down.  
  
James sighed with relief. At least he wouldn't have to go into begging and pleading to get her to stay. He settled himself out on the couch, his stance wide, his leg rubbing against Lily, electricity oozing through it and pulsating it to the rest of his body. That one touch, the touch of a leg, brought on waves of feelings that James had never even felt before. It was funny what a simple touch could do.  
  
"Wasn't it you who was dying to hear what Amy Parker's arse was dressed up in?" James teased, streching his arms out, leaving one along the top of the couch, over Lily's head. Lily moved a bit away, which was discouraging to James, but then she moved her legs closer to James, giving him renewed hope.  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, I am a bit interested in tonight's tale. Do tell, kind sir," Lily grinned as she said this, and a soft pink ascended on her cheeks as she crinkled her nose, making her look pretty adorable.  
  
"It all started and ended just-" James started off enthusiastically and paused dramatically before saying in a monotone "-horrible!"  
  
"What was so bad about it?" Lily asked, shifting her pose, so it was directed to him.  
  
"I was thinking about the stuff we talked about before we went, and I guess it affected me," James said seriously, though making sure to add a bit of a casual to it "And everything just reflected off it. Until it came to the point that I couldn't even see her anymore, I just heard her, and what I heard was about the dumbest conversation I must have ever had. So, I sorta broke it off," James shrugged nonchanantly.  
  
Lily's eyes lit up and she exclaimed "I'm so happy I've reformed someone! Welcome to the tunnel of light. I'm proud of you."  
  
James beamed, which was a bit un-like his usual, suave style "Thanks. I do owe it all to you. Though-" he couldn't help adding "- her arse? Not even that wonderful. I tell you, they don't make them like they use to,"  
  
"It's always one step up, one step down with you, "Lily stood up, and James followed suit "You say something, and then another that completely contradicts the first thing. Its interesting though,"  
  
James laughed, pleased at how well the conversation was going. He looked around at the Common Room and saw that they were the only ones left. It was perfect, the perfect time for him to try.  
  
"I'm pleased I interest you," James moved closer, touching her arm softly "And you were certainly thought of on my date,"  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
"Really?" Lily asked breathily, her heart fluttering a bit.  
  
"Yeah, actually. I kept thinking 'you know, I would have been having such a better time with Lily right now'. I would have, you know," James said softly.  
  
"Yeah, right," Lily felt tingles go up her arm as he rubbed it softly. Lily's ears were ringing with his last comment. It was just so different from the usual him; it was sweet, very sweet.  
  
James just laughed softly, and to Lily's surprise, began playing with her hand. He was talking more about his date and Amy as he did, but Lily barely noticed. She was just focused on the signals that were running from the tips of his fingers to hers and then flowing to the rest of her body, ending in her heart. James picked up her index and middle finger, bending them softly, and then rested his thumb on her pointer finger, rubbing against it gently. He then took her other hand and bent all of her fingers slowly so that they were her touching her palm. James smoothed each out one by one, so they were straight and stiff, and then put his hand over hers.  
  
"Hey, look," He exclaimed over his newfound discovery "Look how much bigger my hand is then yours,"  
  
He held is hand up, so that the palm was facing hers, and she followed suit, putting her hand against his, her tips just surfacing the last joint of his fingers.  
  
"Yeah, my hands are pretty small," she laughed.  
  
She moved her hand over slowly, so that her thumb was resting on the opening between his thumb and pointer finger. James closed his hand around hers, moving it up so it was eye level to him.  
  
"You have nice hands," he observed " Delicate, too."  
  
"Thanks," she answered, shivering faintly.  
  
He brought them back down, and threaded his fingers through hers, swinging their hands slowly. Lily smiled softly, folding her fingers inbetween his, massaging his thumb softly. They just looked at each other smiling for a few moments, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and the touch of each other's hands. James unlatched his left hand, and rested it near her waist.  
  
"So, Amy Parker not up to your standards?" Lily questioned.  
  
"She's about as low as they come," James laughed "Don't remind me of the horror of the night."  
  
They smiled uncertainly again, and finally James opened his mouth uncertainly, and then closed it. He swallowed, opened it again and said hoarsely "Lily..."  
  
All of a sudden the dormitory door slammed open, and Annie cried "Lily, Omigod, I need you in here now. Lynn is insane,"  
  
Lily and James broke apart quickly staring at different parts of the rooms, but blushing. There was a crash followed by a hand dragging Annie away from the door. Annie seemed to be fighting off, and finally won. She ran and grabbed Lily's hand (James had touched it!) and pulled her.  
  
"Uh, James, so I'll see you.." She said, but James was already walking to his room, his head low, and hadn't heard her.  
  
Lily sighed, and followed Annie's lead feeling like the moment had been stolen and would never come back. It was gone, lingering in her thoughts, but not in the atmosphere anymore. The mood had changed and the Common Room was once more the student lounge, with a sagging couch, and a strip of wallpaper ripped off. The beauty had left, leaving a bare, soulless room.  
  
**************************************************************************** *****************  
  
Thank you dear G-d, Thank you dear G-d, THANK YOU DEAR G-D! I finally finished (AGAIN) and to tell you the truth, I don't think it turned out to bad....what about you R/r please!  
  
Thanks to: elsie, Alicorn, Pigs*In*A*Blanket, starborn, kitty prydew (well of course it's true. James is a girl-user. Bad boy, I know. Well, he is now REFORMED anyways), jtw, Shrouded Spirits, Omni, goodmorning(iluvfrogs);):);(:P, Parselmouth Majare, elsie, Night-'n'-Day, someone, drops of jupiter. Sorry that I can't write bigger thank yous this time, I just really want to post this. And you don't know how much I appreciate reviews. I really really love them and I am soo happy when people review, and sad when they dont sooooo: REVIEW! (please) 


	11. THE END!

A/n: YAY!! Finally the next chapter!  
  
Chapter 11  
  
James knew that Lily had to know...He just knew she did. Lily wasn't stupid- that was nothing you would ever hear someone say about her. Obnoxious at times, a workaholic, maybe they would say, but never dumb. She was one of the smartest girls, not only in Gryffindor, but in their whole year. So if she was that smart she had to know...She HAD to know! It was impossible for someone to act the way James had to someone and them not to think that he liked him. They had held hands, for G-d sakes! And maybe even would have done more, but that damn friend ruined everything.  
  
James watched Lily from across the room. She certainly didn't seem any different or anxious from yesterday. For all he knew, Lily hadn't even realized anything had happened- maybe nothing did happen! James hung his head in annoyance. This was why he didn't try to really like anyone. All the doubt and anxiety, it was torture. He watched Lily talk to some boy, her friend's, (the blonde, Lyle was it? No, it was Lila or Lynn or something.) boyfriend's friend. She smiled and her cheeks glowed as she giggled.  
  
James felt the jealousy stem from inside him. There she was, laughing and joking, and maybe even flirting with that boy, and here he was, brooding, and in one of the gloomiest moods. Well, he wasn't going to allow this to happen. Resignedly, he picked himself off the couch, and walked towards her. He didn't even know what he was going to say or have a plan; but he did know that his goal was to steal her away from that guy.  
  
James smiled as he watched Lily's eyes crinkle when she saw him approach. She moved to the side, giving him room to join in the conversation. James took his place next to her, putting one hand on the inside of his jacket, and with the other, he gave the guy, Terrence, a not-so-light tap, that made him sputter and take a step back.  
  
"Yo, Terrence, my man!" James exclaimed.  
  
"Its Terrie," the boy grumbled, staring at the grounds.  
  
James caught Lily's eye and she giggled, realizing that he knew that all along.  
  
"Come on Terrence, you're not going to change the name your own parents gave you, are you? Because that just aint right. You don't see people calling me...say, Jim, or Jam, or something of that sort, do you?"  
  
"I don't see your point."  
  
"I didn't think you would, Terrence," James said in that loud, annoying voice he had mastered over the years "Its more for the intelligent sort. You understand though, right?"  
  
Lily snorted, trying to hold in her laughter.  
  
"Whatever," Terrie said in the same low, disdainful voice "See you later, Lil."  
  
"Uh, its Lily," James reminded, laughing outright at the Ravenclaw's frown.  
  
"Ok, See you LILY," He emphasized her name.  
  
"I'll see ya," Lily said in a light tone, picking at her nails, and giving a quick nod.  
  
This gave James hope. Lily didn't seem to care too much about this Terrence guy. If she did she wouldn't have said bye that way. James had had many a girl like him, and they would never ever leave with such a casual tone- the last impression was always the one that stayed in the guys mind, so they tried to make their farewells as perfect as possible. And that was far from perfect.  
  
"So, who would have thought, you and Terrence?" James joked.  
  
"You didn't have to be cruel," Lily scolded him. "Its not nice or becoming for you."  
  
"So it really is true then?"  
  
"Haha," Lily answered sarcastically "Actually, that guy can be quite annoying. All of a sudden he began following me around, like the whole day, and he keeps talking to me. I can't take it- we don't even have anything in common!"  
  
"Poor dear," James shook his head, in a mock fashion.  
  
"I am a poor dear. I can't thank you enough for saving me from another boring conversation with him."  
  
"I thought you didn't like me?" James raised his eyebrow, keeping the tone casual, thinking inwardly what a double meaning that phrase had.  
  
"Hey, times change," Lily answered in a teasing voice " I think you are a very nice little gentleman," she patted his hand, and then moved it away quickly, probably, figured James, remembering last week.  
  
"Well, I'm glad I have your approval,"  
  
"Well, I'm glad you're glad,"  
  
"Well, I'm glad you're glad that I'm glad,"  
  
"Well, I'm glad everybody's glad," Sirius's voice piped in, putting an arm around each of them. "So how are my little love birds doing?"  
  
**********************************************************  
  
Lily felt herself blush as Sirius said that. Great. She totally gave herself away. It was like rule number one when you liked a guy: Don't blush when someone makes a couple comment about the two of you. It only made it more obvious!  
  
Lily heard the rise and fall of the voices of the two friends, but she didn't pay attention to the dialogue itself. Instead she focused inward, on the plight she had in herself. She had promised herself that if nothing happened this week, she would tell him, or at least make the next move. And now a week had passed and the day had come. Lily kept making excuses but the clock wouldn't stop on her behalf and time was running by her as she stood at her standstill.  
  
"..What do you think, Lily?" James asked suddenly, snapping her out of her reverie.  
  
"Huh?" Lily said intelligently (not!)  
  
James just laughed and rolled his eyes to Sirius "This one's head is always in the clouds."  
  
"Hey, well so is yours! You guys would be perfect together!" Once again came Sirius's brilliant deduction.  
  
Lily and James looked at each other for a moment before each grinning in their own mischievous way, and each took one of his arms, dragging him to the nearest girl.  
  
"Sirius thinks you're hot," James said quite seriously to the girl, who had frizzy hair, and a rather long nose. She twittered nervously and broke into a huge smile.  
  
Lily giggled softly and grabbed James's arm, leaving Sirius, mouth agape, to deal with the girl.  
  
"That was genius," She finally said when she had calmed down.  
  
"Yeah, well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike..." He trailed off and shrugged his shoulders modestly.  
  
Lily snorted "Don't put on an act, Mr. Arrogance,"  
  
James raised his eyebrows " You needn't either, Ms. Un- Practical-Joker,"  
  
"Yeah, that was a great one," came her sarcastic reply.  
  
"And yours was so good?"  
  
"Ok, we're even," Lily took a breath, and decided to turn to a more serious subject, though she tried to make it sound casual "So, Sirius...he seems to be pretty obsessed with his idea."  
  
************************************************************** *  
  
"What idea?" James knew perfectly what she was talking about, but decided to act like he didn't have the slightest clue.  
  
"Oh, that whole thing, you know...?"  
  
"Enlighten me," James smiled at her annoyance. It made her cheeks pinker and she bit her bottom lip just slightly, creating a pretty picture of herself.  
  
"You and me...that whole thing..." she kept trailing off before looking at his face "James, you prat! You know perfectly what I'm talking about, don't you?"  
  
James laughed before saying "Sirius thinks he is the smartest, most perfect guy on the planet and that anything he says goes. Mind you, sometimes he comes up with the craziest theories; you should hear some of them. But, sometimes-" He paused for effect "- Many times, actually, he's not that off base."  
  
James stole a glance at her. He saw her face turn up slightly and her cheeks color. Her eyes blinked rapidly and her lips turned up a bit, as if from excitement. James took this as a good sign. Maybe they were on the same track for once.  
  
"Oh," she said softly.  
  
They stood there in silence for a moment, digesting each other's comments and adding their own commentaries to it. James ran his hand threw his hair and Lily stopped the silence, stepping towards him.  
  
"Stop," she grabbed his elbow and shook her head at him "You'll only muck it up more."  
  
"And what of that?" He asked "Maybe I like it 'mucked' up," He emphasized the word muck, making it sound like each letter was its own syllable, making her laugh.  
  
"Anyways, Don't you have Quidditch practice soon?"  
  
"Crap. Yeah, yeah, I do," James loved Quidditch but today, he just didn't feel like his heart was in the sport today.  
  
"You should go," Lily said slowly. "I don't want the team coming after me with their brooms to bop me on the head with. They will kill me for keeping you,"  
  
"Yeah. Meet me after?" James added quickly after a short pause.  
  
"Sure," She answered, waving to him "I'll see you."  
  
"Yeah, Bye," James replied, and stood there, watching her figure get smaller as she walked away from him before picking himself up, and walking towards the Quidditch Field.  
  
************************************************************** ********  
  
".................So I don't get why he would say that!" Annie finished triumphantly after an extremely long soliloquy.  
  
"Maybe, its because he likes you?" Lynn said her 'duh' voice that she had perfected along the years.  
  
Annie grinned a bit at the thought, then shook her head "I don't think so. I mean, if I were a guy and I saw me, I would totally walk by. And then hit on you, maybe,"  
  
Lynn arched her neck and backed her face away making a grossed-out expression "Ok, the hitting on me thing sort of freaked me out a bit, but we'll just forget it for now. Now what is this about you walking by yourself?"  
  
"Yeah," Lily cut in "Have you no self-confidence? You are waaay prettier then half the girls in our school."  
  
"So, she talks?" questioned Joy.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, you've been pre-etty quiet tonight," Lynn supported "Whatcha been thinking about?"  
  
"Oh....things," Lily trailed off vaguely "You know, the usual stuff."  
  
"Well, if it were the usual stuff then you would be acting the way you do usually. But you're not, so spill!" Annie demanded, pulling a tuft of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Yeah, come on, Lily, we're your friends," Joy emphasized, "So tell all."  
  
Lily thought for a moment, contemplating if she should confess, or just dance around everything without giving herself away. Thought the latter was her usual tactic, she took a deep breath and decided that in this case, maybe the former was the better choice. She was just so bogged down in the whole James thing, and she was beginning to feel torn apart.  
  
"Ok, promise not to make a fuss?" Lily made a stern face as she said this to show she was serious.  
  
"We are totally cool. I mean come on, when have I ever made a big fuss?" Lynn answered.  
  
Lily smirked and decided to skip over the last comment Lynn made, and launched into her problem "Well..............Ok, so I sort of like this guy. I mean no big deal, but ya know, a bit of a crush. And he hasn't really said anything about what he thinks. I mean, there's been hints, I guess, but no real foundation to anything, and neither of us brought it up. And, its not a big thing, but I was wondering if I should, or if I shouldn't or whatever............."She said this all rather quickly and then trailed off once again, keeping her eyes to the floor.  
  
"What kind of hints?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know...I guess sort of touchy feely. And I'm not sure if we flirt or not, maybe we do. And we sort of held hands once.....and then you guys interrupted!" Lily huffed.  
  
"You guys held hands?" Lynn intervened "Ok, hello, that is a pre-etty major sign! James totally likes you anyways. I mean I could have told you that weeks ago!"  
  
"Uh, did the name James even come out of lips once?" Lily exclaimed. She sighed in dismay, but she knew this would have happened anyways.  
  
"You didn't have to," Joy smiled wryly as she answered.  
  
"Fine, so maybe, possibly, SLIGHTLY, there's an utter chance its him," Lily was not good at admitting anything that was secretive, no matter who she was talking to "But anyways, what should I do?"  
  
"Confront him!" Lynn practically yelled "I mean for G-d's sakes, this is getting crazy already,"  
  
"You really think I should?" Lily asked doubtfully.  
  
All three heads nodded simultaneously, their hair bobbing up and down along with their vigorous heads. Lily sighed, and squaring her shoulders, decided to finally take life into her own hands. First thing tomorrow. After classes.  
  
***************************************************  
  
James was already one step ahead of Lily, having decided on the confrontation too long ago. He had looked all over for her after practice, but to no avail, because she was nowhere to be found. Annoyed, he had gone back to his dorms, requesting advice from Sirius, which went along the lines of:  
  
"Are you wearing lipstick and a padded bra? Because you're acting like it! Stop being girly and be a man...Or an aging adolescent for that matter. Go tell her already. Better yet, skip the telling, and just snog her. It makes it a hell of a lot easier."  
  
James laughed softly as he thought of that, shaking his head and Sirius's logic. He lifted his gaze from the floor and stopped mid-laugh when they rested on Lily. Her hair was pulled into a loose pony, with loose strands every which way, and her face looked a bit droopy. She looked as if she hadn't slept all night. She was dressed in her robes, but they were wrinkled and looked as if Lily had dug them out of the bottom of a dusty box, where it had been for the past decade. She was standing apprehensively and tapping her foot, as if she waiting for someone. Her eyes kept darting around the room, until they rested on his for a moment. Then she turned away abruptly.  
  
James squared his shoulders, and decided there was no point in standing around, and not do anything; Lily had spied him anyways. He walked up to her and poked her back with his quill.  
  
Lily stiffened for a moment, and turned around "Ouch!" She said tonelessly, when she saw who it was, but the annoyed look in her eyes showed the sort of tone she meant to convey.  
  
"Top of the morning to you too" James answered cheerfully.  
  
"You needn't poke so hard," she scolded as she rubbed her back.  
  
"Why, thank you, I'm doing great, too."  
  
"What if I had a bad back?" Lily went on in the same toneless, sleepy voice.  
  
"Might I say you look extremely lovely today?"  
  
Lily stopped her tirade and glared at him, putting her arms on her hips.  
  
"What?" James asked defensively.  
  
"You don't have to rub it in that I looked like a peeled potato," Lily said self-consciously, pulling her hair out of the pony, and tried to pull it in a neater one.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that!" James protested.  
  
Lily gave him an exasperated look as she tried to smoothen out her robes "But you did,"  
  
"Ok, so maybe I did mean it in that..er, sarcastic way, but I didn't mean to rub it. I just meant that you look really tired."  
  
Lily seemed to drop her annoyed demeanor and smiled a bit sadly "I am. I didn't get too much sleep last night. I don't- " she stopped to stifle a large yawn.  
  
James chuckled "What kept you up into the wee hours?"  
  
Lily stopped for a moment, and after a pause she said slowly "Oh, not one thing, really. A whole group of things, I guess." she yawned again.  
  
James couldn't help but his arm around her gently. She just looked so cute when she yawned. Her face scrunched up, making all her freckles come together, and she looked younger and more vulnerable. Lily looked up at him in surprise, which spurred him to quickly loosen it, so he moved his arm so that it was barely touching her waist.  
  
Lily moaned "I'm not going to make it through classes," She leaned against him for a moment as if to gather her strength, and then flopped on to the couch in back of her.  
  
James sat down next to her, watching her spread herself along the couch. All of a sudden, he realized that they were all alone. Everyone had gone down for breakfast, leaving them up her by themselves. Now would be the perfect time to tell her, he realized with a start.  
  
Lily began to shiver "Its soo cold," she shivered, her teeth chattering.  
  
James took the opportunity quickly, and moved closer to her. He put his hands on hers, and when she looked at him strangely, he explained "I'm going to warm your hands up like this," as he began to rub her hands, slowly at first, and then more vigorously.  
  
Lily sat totally still for a moment and then said suddenly "The debates in three days,"  
  
"So I've heard," he tried to keep the tone casual, but he was annoyed that the moment was ruined. Maybe Lily didn't like him. Maybe she just thought of him as her schoolwork friend. After all, here he was with his hands on hers, and the debate was the only topic that she thought was a topic befitting for a time like this?  
  
"So, have you finished your part?" She sat up straight, wrenching her hands out his, and swerving to face him.  
  
************************************************************** ********  
  
Lily groaned inwardly at herself. She had been just so nervous with James hands on hers, so she had to bring conversation around to the debate. Of course Lily had to dominate the conversation, and be the annoying obnoxious person. She almost couldn't help it- it was like instinct.  
  
"Well....I've done a part," he mumbled.  
  
"We all had to do fifteen pages- five different points- how many did you do?" Lily asked, curious now.  
  
"Two points," he almost whispered.  
  
All of a sudden, Lily really was mad. She knew she must have been glaring horribly at him now. Only six pages! Only two points! They had to practice everything together tomorrow. And now everything was ruined- they couldn't debate without the parts James was supposed to do. He had all the con side except for two points Lily was doing.  
  
"You..You...WHAT?" She finally blurted out "I am going to kill you! I mean it! We've had MONTHS to work on this. So, you're telling me that basically we're screwed. Right?"  
  
"I've been really occupied lately, ok? I'll finish all today. I'll do it the whole day- I'll get excused from classes from Dumbledore. We'll finish, so calm down," James snapped, moving away from her.  
  
"Yes, but now, we'll suck! I wish that McGonagol didn't switch me into your group. You always screw things up," She said angrily, not even thinking.  
  
James faces contorted angrily when she said that "What is your problem, Lily? I said I'm sorry, I said I'll finish it, and I'll do a damn good job on it, ok?"  
  
"Yeah, you SAY that. You say a lot of things!"  
  
"You know, winning and school isn't everything. Some people value friendship, and good times, and having a life, which you obviously don't. All you do is study, and nothing else. You don't even enjoy anything!"  
  
Lily stared at him, not moving her position. She could feel her body shaking slightly, from anger or shock, she didn't know. All she knew was that no one had ever said such mean things to her before. She felt like James had spit at her or hit or something along the line- it really hurt. She looked down at the couch, trying to gather her spirits.  
  
************************************************************** *********  
  
All of a sudden James felt like the worst person in the universe for what he had just said. The look on Lily's face, it had been heart wrenching to see. She had looked so hurt, and betrayed, like he had ruined her trust.  
  
"I'm sorry," James said softly.  
  
"Shut up,"  
  
"I really am sorry," James said louder, stroking the bottom of her hair. She turned her head, so that her hair moved out of his grasp.  
  
"No, you're not. You meant everything you said. You think I'm a loser or a freak or something. Well, I don't care! I never wanted to be friends with you in the first place so you'll be no loss to me. And I'm pretty sure you feel the same way," Lily bored her eyes into him as she said this. "Its not a big deal."  
  
"It is to me!" James almost yelped, grabbing her arms, so that she was facing him.  
  
She struggled to get up "Let me go, James!"  
  
"Wait, hear me out," James pleaded.  
  
"I don't need to hear you out. You've already said everything you had to say," She tried to remain emotionless, but James saw tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
But just as she was about to get up, James realized this was his only chance, so he pulled her to him and kissed her lightly on her lips, pulling away quickly to see her reaction. Just from the second of contact with her lips, James felt how soft they were, and how nervous and scared and sad she felt. Lily reared her face back, her pupils dilated. Her mouth was set in a small o, and her arms were hanging limply at her sides.  
  
************************************************************** *****  
  
Lily felt numb. She felt like she had just woken from a dream. It wasn't possible that James kissed her. They had just been fighting, like they would never speak again, and James had just kissed her.  
  
When Lily still didn't respond, she felt James take her hands in his, and press against them gently. She was already familiar to the touch of his hand, but the sensation was new- she had always gotten chills, but the kiss, though small, seem to have magnified all her senses and just from the touch she felt in another world. Lily looked up into his eyes, and saw that she wasn't the only nervous one. He was clenching his jaw tightly, and his seemed to be searching hers for an answer.  
  
Finally Lily broke the silence "I thought I saw you flirting with Mal-" she stopped abruptly when she saw the alarmed look on his face, and decided that wasn't the direction to go in " Why the hell did you just do that?"  
  
Well, that probably wasn't much better.  
  
However, James seemed to relax, and he looked as if he was holding in chuckle "I've always wondered what a peeled potato would be like to kiss, so I decided to take up the opportunity,"  
  
"Huh?" Lily felt utterly confused- where did peeled potatoes come in?  
  
"You said you looked like a peeled potato,"  
  
"I did?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, like five minutes ago," James looked equally confused.  
  
"Oh," Lily understood suddenly "Well, I tend to talk rubbish and forget it a moment after when you look at me a certain way sometimes," she admitted, deciding there was no reason to keep anything under wraps now.  
  
All of a sudden, a huge smile spread across James face. He began laughing, and pulled Lily into his arms, her face pressed against his chest. Lily felt his chest ripple with laughter, and smelled a faint whiff of peaches coming from his sweatshirt. His arms held her securely, but gently, and she snuggled her face in the folds of his sweatshirt feeling those feelings waft over her again. Being in his arms- it felt perfect.  
  
************************************************************** *********  
  
James looked down at the face pressed against his chest. Her eyes were closed peacefully and her mouth was smiling serenely. He pulled her closer to him, moving her face closer to his shoulder. She giggled into his shirt, sending electricity surging through his body. James felt her hair tickle him as he laid his head on her and felt a new energy in him. All of a sudden he wanted to run and jump and do a cartwheel (though he had never known how to do one), and at the same time snuggle with Lily in his arms.  
  
They stayed like that for a few moments, enjoying each other's presence. Finally Lily moved her face away slowly and looked up at him. James peered down at her, her green eyes moving uncertainly, tracing his features. James cupped her chin with his hand, and moved closer to her so they were eye level. Lily stared wide-eyed, in a child like way, and he noticed that she was holding her breath, waiting for his next move.  
  
James felt the heat that radiated from her as his face moved closer to her. The second their lips touched for the second time, James knew that Lily was different from any girl he had ever met. Her kisses were more slow and uncertain, but with a soft passion that blew him away. Lily pressed her body against his, increasing the pressure. James ran his tongue against her teeth and she opened her mouth more, deepening the kiss. She moaned softly as he bit her bottom lip gently. Lily ran her hand through his hair, sending shivers all over his scalp. James hands moved from around her waist to her face, as he gently traced the outline of her cheeks, moving them down her defined cheekbones. Finally Lily pulled away, breathing heavily.  
  
**************************************************************  
  
Wow was the only thing Lily could think after the kiss she had just received. Staring at James from her lowered eyelashes, she re-livened the kiss and imagined a thousand more kisses like that, all perfect. James pressed her forehead against hers, a huge grin on her face. Lily's smile widened at his, and she realized how goofy it must have looked, but she didn't care.  
  
"I didn't-" She started just as he said "I thought-"  
  
They both stopped, looked at each other, and began to laugh. James regained his composure quickly and said "Me first. 'K?"  
  
Lily nodded in response, and waited in anticipation for his words.  
  
"Ok, Lily I like you. a lot," He started.  
  
" I had no idea!" Lily said in mock surprise, then giggled.  
  
"Ha, ha," James rolled his eyes and continued "Really, Lily. So like I said, I like you. I don't know how it started but it did and it wouldn't go away. And to be honest, it felt pretty great. The only bad part was not knowing if you like me. You don't know how annoying it was not being able to tell you how I really felt or kiss you or stuff like that. I mean, every time I tried anything, you started a fight or you moved away, and somehow it just didn't work out. But now, I guess my question was answered. Right?" He took her hand in his, and massaged it gently with his thumb, tickling her sensations.  
  
"I don't know how annoying it was? Do you see these damn bags under my eyes! All your fault! I couldn't even sleep because of you, ok? I mean first you would be all sweet and cute-" she paused at James arrogant look and rolling her eyes, continued "Oh, stop it with that look. Anyways, then all of a sudden you would become obnoxious James, and then you would go flirt with someone else. What was I supposed to think?" She threw her hands up at the end of her tirade, and he caught them, and placed them around him, pulling her into a hug.  
  
"That I was playing hard-to-get?" James whispered into her hair.  
  
"That's my job!" Lily protested.  
  
"And you did a pretty good job at it," James paused for a moment "So what about the debate?"  
  
Lily buried her head in his shirt again and her muffle voiced said "I'll get an excuse from Dumbledore also,"  
  
Lily felt shivers just from seeing the huge smile that came over his face. He just made the cutest expressions sometimes- His glasses would move up as he tilted his face upward and wrinkled his forehead, his cheeks widened from his smile. She couldn't help it and leaned over to kiss his nose.  
  
James wrinkled the feature at her and she giggled.  
  
"Sirius was right," James said thoughtfully "Damn, that's a first!"  
  
He stood up and used both arms to pull Lily up from her position on the couch. She placed her hand in his as she said "I thought you said he was usually right?"  
  
"I lied," James smirked "But he was right for once,"  
  
"About what?" Lily asked, as he kissed her cheek.  
  
"Oh, nothing........." James trailed off.  
  
Hand in hand, they walked to Dumbledore's office, each thinking they were luckier than the other. Right before they entered, James stopped her suddenly, pulling her around the corridor.  
  
Lily looked at him, confused "I thought we were going to Dumbledore's?"  
  
"We are. I just want to tell you that I'm not using you like the other girls. This," he put his arms out to signify what he was talking about "is real. Totally real. Ok?"  
  
"You dumbass," Lily shook her head at him "I know that,"  
  
"For the record you are more of a dumbass then me, but forget about for a second. How?" James said, drawing her closer to him.  
  
"We both know you are more of a dumbass then me," Lily scrutinized.  
  
"Ok, we do know that, but I have my pride! I won't admit it. But how do you know about what I said?" James asked once again.  
  
Sometimes you just know things," Lily said softly, thinking about the feeling in her telling at her that they would be together for a looooooong time.  
  
Satisfied with her answer, James brought his face to hers again, and they both tasted paradise for the second of many times.  
  
THE END!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Yay!! It is finito! I am not sure if I will make an epilogue yet, but there will definitely be a chapter to thank all my AMAZING reviewers who I LOVE to death! R/R!! 


	12. Chapter 12

Authors note: I put this up a while ago, Just wanted to say thanks to all my reviewers. I had a great time doing this story and I hope you all liked it ;) R/R!


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